Lenthéric, Lentheric, Anticipation, 240 ml. or 8 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1937, Paris, France ..

Lenthéric is an very old and venerated company which was established in 1795 as a millinery. In the 19th century, fashion accessories were added to the store. From 1873, perfumes were being informally blended in the store for sale. Guillaume Louis Lenthéric, a hairdresser, established the perfume-cosmetics company 'La Parfumerie des Orchidees' in 1885.

Guillaume Lenthéric exclusively distilled and dispensed the rarest perfumes in France for the loveliest ladies of the courts and aristocracy in Europe. He was one of the first to venture into foreign fields and eventually his firm passed into English hands. A large building at 245 rue du Faubourg-Saint Honore in Paris was acquired in 1885 and turned into a salon for millinery, perfumes, cosmetics and important beauty and hairdressing services. Lenthéric was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur in gratitude for his contributions to one of France's greatest industries.

By 1900, branches were opened in Deauville, Monte Carlo, Nice, Biarritz, Ostend, Baden-Baden, and London. In 1910, the company was acquired by Velsch & Holtz. Guillaume Lenthéric died in 1912. Lenthéric began marketing perfumes in the United States in the 1920s, opening a very lavish salon at the Savoy Plaza in New York. Their distributor was John J. Murphy. The firm incorporated in 1924. Later, Lenthéric became a subsidiary of Squibb, and was 90% controlled by the parent company in January 1942.

In 1947, Lenthéric, Inc., experienced a decline in earnings due to higher wages, advertising expenses, and vast returns of merchandise from retail stores, which trimmed inventories. In 1951 the company hoped to increase sales by introducing a new line of makeup called Sheer Beauty. Lenthéric was later acquired by Squibb in 1956. Squibb had manufacturing plants in Brooklyn, New York and New Brunswick, New Jersey in July 1952. The Squibb main building was at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street in New York City.

In 1990, Old Bond Street, which was owned by Wasserstein Perella & Co., purchased Lenthéric and Yardley. In 1998, Old Bond Street collapsed and Lenthéric was sold to Shaneel Enterprises Ltd. Such was the fate of this marvelous old company, but due to the high quality of the products, they were able to maintain their sales and stay in business through the different ownerships.

Launched in 1937, Anticipation was described as "brisk and citrusy", "exotic", "musky", "peppery", "floral" and "spicy"! It is a semi-oriental spicy, woody floral perfume for women. A vintage 1938 newspaper article described the perfume as "formality in fragrance, expressed in a contrasting pattern of light and shade, a dancing, piquant note against a deep, rich background."

Another 1938 newspaper article describes Anticipation as "the perfume created for the women with a jaded perfume appetite, has a base of Javanese wood oil, the costliest of perfume bases."

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1937 wrote "With all the enthusiasm for the new and exciting in perfume, don't overlook Lentheric's "Anticipation". It's a gorgeous perfume for the very smart, with a fragrance destined to become the most favored of Lentheric perfumes. Flower notes are present in "Anticipation", but the deep-toned background is due to unusual essences that would be generally unknown, such as a certain Javanese wood and a fascinating variety of moss." Not all the notes are to be found on the Internet or in my books, but this is the basic structure ..

Top notes are Citrus, Bergamot, Orange Blossom, and Neroli
Heart notes are Floral Notes, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Spices, and Pepper
Base notes are Sandalwood, Cedar, Java Wood, and Oak Moss

Offered here is an enormous eight ounce bottle of this beautiful perfume, never opened or used and in its original presentation box. The speckled gold bakelite cube covers the twist off lid. Fabulous .. splash it on!!