Richard Hudnut, La Pyramide, 'The Pyramid', 7.5 ml. or 0.25 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, Julien Viard, 1927, Paris, France ..

Richard Alexander Hudnut lived from June 2, 1855- October 30, 1928. He was an American businessman recognized as the first American to achieve international success in cosmetics manufacturing. The company once maintained separate US and European headquarters on Fifth Avenue in New York City and on the Rue de la Paix in Paris, respectively. Although his fortune had been built around cosmetics and beauty products, he preferred to be known as a "perfumer”.

Around 1880, a small pharmacy was opened in New York city and sold perfumes, cosmetics and assorted toiletries. Richard Hudnut, the son of the proprietor of the shop, became the first American selling luxury perfume presentations, though some of these were created in France, in an elegant shop which was directly influenced by the French and European perfumeries.

Early Richard Hudnut fragrances included Queen Anne Cologne (1880), Violet Sec (1896), Aimée (1902), DuBarry (1903), Vanity (1910), and Three Flowers (1915). Hudnut's beauty products were sold in department stores, an indication of their appeal to a more affluent and sophisticated clientele.

In 1916, the company was sold to Henry & Gustavus Adolphus Pfeiffer and Richard Hudnut was no longer involved in the business. As a result of this, Gustavus Adolphus became the president of the Richard Hudnut Company. In the 1920s, the company had expanded into Europe, and acquired the French style. The company proudced several luxurious presentations during the 1920s but the quality of designs declined gradually starting in the 1930s and right on thru to the 1950s.

There are absolutely no perfume notes for La Pyramide. I am selling this for the extraordinary flacon. I am fairly certain that this flacon was designed by Julien Viard, but I cannot find any records to confirm this. It is really lovely! The last photograph shows a similar bottle with its original box. I do not have the box for this bottle.

The 1920's was a time that European and American society were taking a great interest in all things from the Orient. The pyramids were a source of fascination, as well as the history of Egypt. A great flourish of perfume flacons were styled after this new ideas and after visions of such exotic places!