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Blocki is an American fragrance brand and one of the earliest perfume and cosmetic manufacturers in the United States. It was founded in 1865 by perfumer John Blocki, a pioneer in the American fragrance industry.
 Historic JBS monogram | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fragrance and Beauty |
| Predecessor | John Blocki and Son |
| Founded | 1865 in Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Founder | John Blocki |
| Headquarters | USA |
| Products | Perfumes, cosmetics and personal care |
| Website | blocki |
History
editBlocki began in 1865 as an importer and wholesaler of drugs, chemicals, perfumes, essences and essential oils.[1] By 1895 the company specialized in making perfumes and cosmetics with John Blocki as the chief chemist and perfumer overseeing creation. In 1916, the Blocki house launched its own line of cosmetics under the Esprit d’Amour trade name.[2]
In 1904 Blocki opened a perfume showroom and laboratory on Michigan Avenue in Chicago that was regarded as one of the most up-to-date in the United States.[3] It was also the first perfume boutique in Chicago.[4] The Blocki perfumery became a specimen of retail display due to its extensive collection of perfumes.[5]
As part of a partnership with the Franco American Hygienic Company, Blocki also operated perfume laboratories and manufacturing facilities in San Francisco and New York. In 1909, Blocki partnered with The American Floral Perfume Co. to open a perfume laboratory in Toronto, Canada.[6]
Blocki was known for its innovative and eye-catching perfume packaging design.[7] One of its popular line of fragrances was named Flower-in-the-Bottle because each perfume contained a preserved natural flower corresponding to the type of perfume.[8] In 1907, Blocki received a U.S. and Canadian patent for this packaging innovation.[9]
The Blocki house was owned and operated by the Blocki family during most of its existence. John Blocki retired in 1930 and his daughter, Jeannette Blocki Petersen, took over as active head of the business.[10] She sold the company to the Winter Group in the 1940s and they ran it for a decade before ceasing operations.[11] It was later reopened by John Blocki’s great-great-grandson and his wife with a trio of fragrances to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand’s founding.[12]
Today Blocki is an independent perfumery creating modern fragrances that recall its unique Gilded Age history as a pioneer American perfumery.
References
edit- ^ “Notable Successes and How Achieved”. The Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review. June 1914, volume 32, no. 6, page 232. Google Book Search. Web. 4 December 2018.
- ^ The American Perfumer and Essential Oil Review. New York, March 1916, Volume 11, no. 1, page 25.
- ^ “The Spatula Bulletin Board”. The Spatula. Boston, November 1904, volume 11, no. 2, page 99. Internet Archive Search. 4 December 2018.
- ^ American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record. Volume 43. 1903. Reprint. London: Forgotten Books, 2013. Page 293.
- ^ “Sketches of States, Cities and Mercantile Representatives.” The Western Druggist. October 1904, volume 26, no. 10, page 551.
- ^ The Canadian Druggist. Toronto, January 1909, Volume 21, no. 1, page 159.
- ^ “This Spells Christmas”, The N.A.R.D. Journal, December 7, 1916, Volume 23, no.10, page 434.
- ^ Jones-North, Jacquelyne Y. Ads and Patents Illustration 232 in Commercial Perfume Bottles Third Edition. Schiffer, 1996.
- ^ Google Patents Search. U.S. Patent No. 840,105. Canadian Patent No. 103,203. Web. 28 January 2019.
- ^ "Obituary of John Blocki". American Perfumer and Essential Oil Review. May 1934, page 145.
- ^ Baker, Linda Blocki. “The Gale & Blocki Drug Store; History in a Perfume Bottle”. Perfume Bottle Quarterly. Spring 2006, volume 18, number 3, pages 5-7.
- ^ “Blocki Perfumes: 150 Years Later”. Perfumer & Flavorist. January 2016, volume 41., no. 1, pages 40-43.