A Perfumed History

Clive Christian’s history began in Victorian England where it was established by William Sparks Thomson as The Crown Perfumery Company. Having first opened a corsetry business in 1840, Thomson and his son found that due to the tightness of the garment’s ladies would faint and so lavender based smelling-salts were introduced to revive his clients. These salts were soon followed by the creation of a highly concentrated perfume called Crab Apple Blossom in 1865 which is where this company’s perfumed history begins.

The scents quickly caught the attention of high society and in 1872 Queen Victoria, one of the companies most famous customers, graciously granted the use of the image of her crown on the perfume bottles.

By 1879 The Crown Perfumery Company was exporting half a million bottles of 49 different perfumes to 47 different countries around the world, establishing its place in the world of perfumery.

Having earned its place in high society the Crown Perfumery Company quickly became the most fashionable perfumery amongst the worldly elite; so, it was no surprise that these scented goods were found in pride of place in the first-class cabins of The Titanic in 1912.

By the 1920’s, The Crown perfumery Company had won over twenty medals, a true mark of the quality of its products.

The Crown Perfumery Lavender Salts remained a firm favourite due to their invigorating qualities and as such were chosen by Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic, to accompany her on her voyage to ensure she remained alert whilst flying.

As times changed and the world of perfumery moved away from products such as traditional Lavender Salts, The Crown Perfumery Company slowed production but by 1993 some of the company’s best-selling perfumes were revived and a boutique in London was opened.

Whilst strolling through the Burlington Arcade, Clive Christian OBE discovered The Crown Perfumery and realised the opportunity to breathe new life into a perfume house with an unrivalled heritage.

The Crown Perfumery Company was reimagined as Clive Christian Perfume, and the inaugural Original Collection of perfumes launched in 1999. Clive Christian OBE restored the craftsmanship and tradition of haute perfumery and having celebrated 150 years, the perfumes are still adored by the modern elite of today.