Yardley, April Violets, 100 ml. or 3.51 oz. Flacon, Eau de Cologne, 1913, 1950, London, England ..

Yardley of London, usually referred to simply as Yardley or Yardleys , is an international English-based company and one of the oldest firms in the world to specialise in cosmetics, fragrances and related toiletries products. Established in 1770, Yardley was a major producer of soap and perfumery by the beginning of the 20th century. By 1910, it moved its establishment to London's Bond Street, and in 1921 Yardley received its first Royal Warrant. Today, Yardley holds two Royal Warrants.

The company was established by the Cleaver family in 1770, the official date displayed on its product labels. According to the company's website an earlier incarnation existed prior to this but most records of the earlier company were lost in the Great Fire of London of 1666.

The company is named after William Yardley, who purchased the firm in 1823 from the sons of the founder Samuel Cleaver, who had gone into bankruptcy. The company became Yardley & Statham in 1841 when Charles Yardley, the son of William, took on William Statham as a partner in the business. At the time, the business sold perfumes, soaps, powders, hair pomades and other toiletries.

In 1851, the company, still known as Yardley & Statham, exhibited at The Great Exhibition in The Crystal Palace. That same year, the company changed its name to Yardley & Co. Yardley & Statham exhibited soap and perfume including a soap called Old Brown Windsor, which was embossed with a picture of Windsor Castle and was one of their first production soaps.

In 1913, Yardley adopted Francis Wheatley's "Flowersellers" painting from his "Cries of London" series as their new corporate logo. The yellow primroses being sold in baskets in the painting are replaced by the company with sheaths of lavender.

Yardley's signature scent is English Lavender, which was launched in 1873. English Lavender was popular during the Victorian Era in England and was imported to the USA in the 1880s where it became popular in American households. The lavender that Yardley uses in their products is the variety Lavandula angustifolia, which is specially grown for Yardley in the South of England. The variety of lavender used by Yardley was selected by the company in the 1930s after a several year search for the finest variety.

"Despite its reputation for being dainty and demure, violet has a complex scent with a fascinating history. The Victorian era was a period of great change in society, and the simple example of a violet cologne is a good illustration of the dynamics of the time. Violet waters became popular long before Victoria was crowned, highly sought after for their sweet scent with nuances of raspberry and rose. At first, fragrances based on this flower were derived from Parma violets via the painstaking process of collecting tiny blossoms and extracting their essence. It made violet a costly and luxurious perfume available only to a select few.

Violets and other floral notes were usually blended with musk and amber to give them depth and character. Guides to contemporary etiquette urged women to select light and delicate perfumes, but fragrances rich with sandalwood, balsams and ambergris were much loved. Queen Victoria herself favoured Ess Bouquet, a bold choice that during her 1855 trip to France confounded Parisian mavens. A perfume “with a detectable hint of sandalwood” on a royal persona seemed surprising, risqué and yet intriguing.

The late 19th century saw a scientific revolution that also changed the art of perfumery. In 1893, two chemists, Ferdinand Tiemann and Paul Krüger, discovered ionones, the class of aroma compounds that give violets their distinctive aroma. This discovery had a dramatic effect on fragrance creation, because the violet-like notes could now be made in the lab, without needing to process several tons of flowers. Violet perfumes became more varied and more widely available." Bois de Jasmin

Yardley's April Violets is a classic that has been around over a century. The charming violet perfumes of that by gone era are still available here and there, and the scent is absolutely lovely. Violet Leaves, Violet Flowers, Orris, Sandalwood are the likely components of this lovely fragrance.

Offered here is an absolutely pristine bottle of the April Violets in the Eau de Cologne format. Rare to find one like this and still very dynamic and fresh. Violet lovers!! It comes in its original presentation box .. though some of the tabs are missing ..