Gal of Madrid, Piel d'Espagna, Peau d'Espagne, Spanish Leather, 15 ml. or 0.5 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1923, 1940, Madrid, Spain ..

"Perfumería Gal" has been for centuries producing delicate objects of cult." Perfumes were being created as early as 1870 but it was not until the beginning of the twentieth century when Salvador Echeandía Gal commercialized his perfumes resulting in some of the best-selling products in the history of perfumes and beauty products in Spain. Since his boutique allocation in Arenal Street of Madrid, Gal begin to settle down into its foundations of manufacturing soaps and perfumes. The company has been a mainstay of Spanish beauty products for generations.

Salvador Gal was born in 1867 in Irún, being the oldest of twelve brothers. His father, Genaro, had been mayor of the town and his mother, Luisa, was an enterprising woman who owned several businesses in the area. Both procured their children an exceptional education for their time. Salvador studied commerce in Zurich and his brother Eusebio, who later became the architect of Gal's fragrances, was the first Spanish citizen to obtain a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Berlin . Another of his brothers, Julio, trained as a sculptor in Munich, becoming a renowned garden designer in the villas of Biarritz and San Juan de Luz .

Salvador traveled untiringly in his youth through several countries in Europe, especially Germany, which was reflected in his innovative spirit, implanting pioneering techniques in his business unthinkable for that time in Spain, mainly in the areas of social policy and advertising. He was founder of Gal Perfumery .

He implemented eight-hour work days, paid vacations and sick leave in his companies, and the modern Gal factory in Madrid, which was inaugurated in 1915, had free day care services, medical dispensary and pharmacy for employees, as well as showers for workers. that they could not clean themselves in their houses, which was almost unheard of in those days. Because of his employees love and respect for him, they called him 'Don Salvador' as the highest form of address.

Salvador was the first Spaniard to create an advertising department in his company, counting on the best publicists and illustrators of the turn of the century such as Alphonse Mucha, Federico Ribas, or Pedro Prat Caballí whose posters, with elegant and sophisticated images aimed at the social elite, are currently considered as works of art close to Art Deco.

Salvador returned to Spain after his travels in Europe and opened a very modest store for the sale of perfumes. He took such a deep and abiding interesting in the selling and making of perfumes that the little enterprise of years ago has grown until it is today the largest perfume factory in Spain, and one of the most important in all of Europe. Through his will power, constancy, and devotion, Salvador Gal accomplished one great achievement.

Gal's Piel d'Espagna, or Peau d'Espange .. Spanish Leather .. was first introduced in the 1920's. Production ceased in the early 1950's. My guess is that this bottle is from the 1940's. It has seem a little evaporation over the years, but with the cork stopper and wax finish over it, it has likely simply concentrated the perfume rather than escaped the bottle via evaporation.

Top notes are Bergamot, Orange Blossom, and Neroli
Heart notes are Rose, Lavender, and Verbena
Base notes are Sandalwood, Clove, Cinnamon, Leather,

A real treasure .. very very rare ..