Essence and Alchemy

by Mandy Aftel

  ———. Psychology and Alchemy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993.

  Junius, Manfred M. The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1993.

  Miller, Richard, and Iona Miller. The Modern Alchemist. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1994.

  Paracelsus. Selected Writings. Edited by Jolande Jacobi. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1988.

  Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. An Alchemical Treatise on the Great Art. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1995.

  Ramsey, Jay. Alchemy. London: Thorsons, 1997.

  Redgrove, H. Stanley. Alchemy: Ancient and Modern. London: William Rider, 1922.

  Rulandus, Martinus. A Lexicon of Alchemy. 1612. Kila, MT: Kessinger, Reprint, 1999.

  Schwartz-Salant, Nathan. The Mystery of Human Relationship. London: Routledge, 1998.

  Taylor, F. Sherwood. The Alchemists. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1992.

  Thompson, C.J.S. The Lure and Romance of Alchemy. London: Harrap, 1932.

  Wehr, Gerhard. The Mystical Marriage. Northamptonshire, England: Aquarian Press, 1990.

  ILLUSTRATED BOOKS ON ALCHEMY

  The illustrated books on alchemy are a feast for the eyes, as nothing can convey the magic and majesty of alchemy better than its symbols and emblems. My favorite is Alexander Roob’s Alchemy and Mysticism; although its many illustrations are not explained, they induce a meditative state in which one can pleasurably lose oneself for hours. Another beauty is Stanislas de Rola’s The Golden Game.

  Burland, C. A. The Arts of the Alchemists. New York: Macmillan, 1967.

  de Pascalis, Andrea. Alchemy: The Golden Art. Rome: Gremese International, 1995.

  de Rola, Stanislas Klossowski. Alchemy: The Secret Art. London: Thames and Hudson, 1977.

  ———. The Golden Game. London: Thames and Hudson, 1988.

  Fabricus, Johannes. Alchemy. London: Diamond Books, 1976.

  Roob, Alexander. Alchemy and Mysticism. Cologne: Taschen, 1997.

  SEXUALITY

  Scent and sexuality go together like peanut butter and jelly. Iwan Bloch’s peculiar Odoratus Sexualis is striking for its unabashed curiosity about sexual odors, if also for its views on race and scent, which will be offensive to many. The views of Havelock Ellis, which may seem dated from a psychological perspective, still seem right to me where they concern the sense of smell and the role of odor in human relations.

  Bloch, Iwan. Odoratus Sexualis. New York: Panurge Press, 1934.

  Davenport, John. Aphrodisiacs and Anti-Aphrodisiacs. London: privately printed, 1869.

  Ellis, Havelock. Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Sexual Selection in Man. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Co., 1905.

  Hirsch, Alan R. Scentsational Sex. Boston: Element, 1998.

  Kohl, James Vaughn, and Robert T. Francoeur. The Scent of Eros. New York: Continuum, 1995.

  Lake, Max. Scents and Sexuality. London: Futura, 1991.

  SENSE OF SMELL AND SYNESTHESIA

  The best book on the sense of smell is Roy Bedichek’s, which includes strange and beautiful examples from the natural world. Synesthesia, the interrelatedness of all the senses (i.e., the ability to hear color, smell sounds, see olfactory shapes) has influenced poets and artists throughout the ages. Diane Ackerman’s book provides a wonderful introduction to each of the senses and their peculiarities and similarities. A particular favorite of mine is Roland Hunt’s book on the mystical traditions linking perfumes with music and color.

  Ackerman, Diane. A Natural History of the Senses. New York: Vintage, 1990.

  Bedichek, Roy. The Sense of Smell. London: Michael Joseph, 1960.

  Burton, Robert. The Language of Smell. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1976.

  Classen, Constance. The Color of Angels. London: Routledge, 1998.

  Cytowic, Richard. The Man Who Tasted Shapes. New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1993.

  Hunt, Roland. Fragrant and Radiant Symphony. London: C. W. Daniel, 1938.

  Kenneth, John H. Osmics: The Science of Smell. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1924.

  McKenzie, Dan. Aromatics and the Soul. London: William Heinemann, 1923.

  Marks, Lawrence E. The Unity of the Senses. New York: Academic Press, 1978.

  Moncrieff, R. W. Odor Preferences. London: Leonard Hill, 1966.

  Watson, Lyall. Jacobson’s Organ. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.

  Winter, Ruth. The Smell Book. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1976.

  HORTICULTURE

  Scattered among old books on gardening for fragrance are wonderful illustrations of herbs and flowers and lovely descriptions of their distinctive odors. My favorite in this group is Taylor’s, with its treasure trove of delicate and detailed woodcuts. The Book of the Scented Garden, written at the turn of the century by the curator of Trinity College’s botanical gardens, is a gem; an obviously well-read man, Burbidge mixes random facts with flowery poetry and recipes for scented goods.

  Burbidge, F. W. The Book of the Scented Garden. London: The Bodley Head Limited, 1905.

  Fox, Helen Morgenthau. Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance. New York: Dover, 1970.

  McDonald, Donald. Sweet Scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, 1895.

  Rohde, Eleanour Sinclair. Rose Recipes from Olden Times. New York: Dover, 1973.

  Taylor, J. E. Flowers: Their Origin, Shapes, Perfumes, and Colors. Edinburgh: John Grant, 1906.

  HERBALS AND PHARMACOPOELA

  Long ago, the druggist, herbalist, and perfumer were the same person, and herbs and essential oils were among an apothecary’s basic supplies. The Druggist’s General Receipt Book is one of my favorites, where alongside remedies for ailing sheep can be found recipes for cough medicines containing opium, hair dyes containing lead, skin preparations with names like “Pâté Divine de Venus,” and various perfumes of the day.

  Beasley, Henry. The Druggist’s General Receipt Book. London: John Churchill, 1866.

  Brown. Alice Cooke. Early American Herb Recipes. Rutland, VT: Charles Turtle, 1966.

  Culpepper, Nicholas. The English Physician. Manchester, England: S. Russell, Deansgate, 1807.

  Day, Ivan. Perfumery with Herbs. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1979.

  Grieve, Mrs. M. A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover, 1971.

  Hiss, A. Emil, and Albert E. Ebert. The New Standard Formulary. Chicago: G. P. Engelhard, 1910.

  Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.

  Salmon, William. Bate’s Dispensatory. London: William and John Innys, 1720.

  NATURAL ESSENCES

  The OED of natural essences is the six-volume tome by Ernest Guenther. The catalogs of the Schimmels (who later became the Fritzsches) are filled with useful information, including their assessment of the lasting power of various essences. I quite love The Volatile Oils, which is based on the Schimmel reports and is filled with their beautiful hand-drawn maps showing the location of cloves in Zanzibar and various citruses in Italy. Odorographia, like its wonderful title, is a gem filled with very specialized and lovingly gathered information about fragrance materials.

  Fritzsche Brothers. Perfumers Handbook and Catalog. New York: Fritzsche Brothers, 1944.

  Gildmeister, E., and Fr. Hoffmann. The Volatile Oils. Milwaukee, WI: Pharmaceutical Review, 1900.

  Guenther, Ernest. The Essential Oils. Six volumes. New York: Van Nostrand, 1948-52.

  Naves, Y. R., and G. Mazuyer. Natural Perfume Materials. New York: Reinhold, 1947.

  Parry, Ernest J. The Chemistry of Essential Oils. London: Scott, Greenwood, 1899.

  ———. Cyclopedia of Perfumery. Two volumes. Philadelphia: Blakiston, 1925.

  ———. The Raw Materials of Perfumery. London: Sir Isaac Pitman, 1921.

  Sawer, J. Ch. Odorographia. Two volumes. London: Gurney and Jackson, 1892 and 1894.

  EARLY FORMULA BOOKS

  Every book on this list is a treasure. Some have more interesting woodcuts (Sniveley), others be
tter history (Cooley), and some a broader scope of recipes (Dussauce’s A Complete Treatise on Perfumery). Charles Piesse’s book, which is absolutely gorgeous, appears to have been largely lifted from his brother Septimus’s much more famous volume.

  Askinson, George William. Perfumes and Their Preparation. New York: N. W. Henley, 1892.

  Cooley, Arnold J. Instructions and Cautions Respecting the Selection and Use of Perfumes, Cosmetics, and Other Toilet Articles. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1873.

  Cristiani, R. S. A Comprehensive Treatise on Perfumery. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1877.

  Deite, C. A Practical Treatise on the Manufacture of Perfumery. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1892.

  Durvelle, J. P. The Preparation of Perfumes and Cosmetics. London: Scott, Greenwood and Son, 1923.

  Dussauce, H. A Complete Treatise on Perfumery. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1864.

  ———. A Practical Guide for the Perfumer. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1868.

  Martin, Geoffrey. Perfumes, Essential Oils and Fruit Essences. London: Crosby, Lockwood and Son, 1921.

  Morfit, Campbell. Perfumery: Its Manufacture and Use. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1847.

  Piesse, Charles H. The Art of Perfumery. London: Piesse and Lubin, 1891.

  Sniveley, John H. A Treatise on the Manufacture of Perfumes and Kindred Articles. Nashville, TN: Charles W. Smith, 1877.

  Walter, Erich. Manual for the Essence Industry. New York: John Wiley, 1916.

  MODERN PERFUMERY

  Naturally, books on contemporary perfumery concentrate less on the naturals and more on the synthetics. Mary Lynne, a self-taught perfumer who practiced in the Midwest in the late 1960s and was passionate about her particular brand of straight oil perfumery, descends from a long line of eccentric solo practitioners. Paul Jellinek’s book on the erogenous and antierogenous aspects of perfume, reissued after fifty years, holds up very well. Perfumes: Art, Science, and Technology, the collection assembled by Müller and Lamparsky, contains the magnificent Roudnitska essay “The Art of Perfumery.”

  Calkin. Robert R., and J. Stephan Jellinek. Perfumery. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1994.

  Curtis, Tony, and David G. Williams. Introduction to Perfumery. London: Ellis Horwood, 1994.

  Gattefossé, R. M. Formulary of Perfumes and Cosmetics. New York: Chemical Publishing, 1959.

  Jellinek, Paul. The Practice of Modern Perfumery. London: Leonard Hill Ltd., 1959.

  ———. The Psychological Basis of Perfumery. Edited by J. Stephan Jellinek. London: Chapman and Hall, 1997.

  Lynne, Mary. Galaxy of Scents. Kila, MT: Kessinger, 1994.

  Maurer, Edward. Perfumes and Their Production. London: United Trade Press, 1958.

  Miller, Richard, and Iona Miller. The Magical and Ritual Uses of Perfumes. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1990.

  Moncrieff, R. W. The Chemistry of Perfumery Materials. London: United Trade Press, 1949.

  Müller. P. M., and D. Lamparsky, eds. Perfumes: Art, Science, and Technology. London: Elsevier, 1991.

  Van Toller, Steve, and George Dodd. Perfumery: The Psychology and Biology of Fragrance. London: Chapman and Hall, 1988.

  AROMATHERAPY

  Aromatherapy is a growing discipline with a voracious reading public, judging from the sheer volume of books in print on the subject. Some books concentrate more on health-related aspects (Tisserand, Valnet, Gattefossé). The aromatherapy books that are most useful to the perfumer are those that illuminate the aesthetic character of the essences and their influence on the emotions. I particularly like Julia Lawless’s two books and the Damians’ book. Battaglia’s book is a thorough encyclopedia, and Fischer-Rizzi’s is a user-friendly introduction.

  Battaglia, Salvatore. The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Queensland, Australia: The Perfect Potion, 1997.

  Cunningham, Scott. Magical Aromatherapy. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1992.

  Damian, Peter, and Kate Damian. Aromatherapy: Scent and Psyche. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1995.

  Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy A–Z. Essex, England: C. W. Daniel, 1988.

  ———. Subtle Aromatherapy. Essex, England: C. W. Daniel, 1991.

  Edwards, Victoria H. The Aromatherapy Companion. Pownal, VT: Storey Books, 1999.

  Fischer-Rizzi, Suzanne. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1990.

  Gattefossé, René. Gattefossé’s Aromatherapy. Essex, England: C. W. Daniel, 1993.

  Jünemann, Monika. Enchanting Scents. Wilmot, WI: Lotus Light, 1988.

  Keville, Kathy, and Mindy Green. Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1995.

  Lawless, Julia. Aromatherapy and the Mind. London: Thorsons, 1994.

  ———. The Complete Encyclopedia of Essential Oils. Rockport, MA: Element, 1995.

  Maury, Marguerite. Marguerite Maury’s Guide to Aromatherapy. London: C. W. Daniel, 1989.

  Miller, Richard, and Iona Miller. The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1990.

  Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. London: Gaia Books, 1996.

  Price, Len. Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy and Massage. Stratford-upon-Avon, England: Riverhead, 1999.

  Price, Shirley. Aromatherapy Workbook. London: Thorsons, 1993.

  Rose, Jeanne. The Aromatherapy Book. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1992.

  ———. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. Berkeley, CA: Frog Ltd., 1999.

  Sellar, Wanda. The Directory of Essential Oils. Essex, England: C. W. Daniel, 1992.

  Tisserand, Robert. The Art of Aromatherapy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1977.

  Valnet, Jean. The Practice of Aromatherapy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1990.

  Wildwood, Christine. Create Your Own Perfumes. London: Paitkus, 1994.

  ———. Creative Aromatherapy. London: Thorson’s, 1993.

  ———. The Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1996.

  Worwood, Valerie Ann. Aromantics. New York: Bantam, 1993.

  ———. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. San Rafael, CA: New World Library, 1991.

  ———. The Fragrant Heavens. Novato, CA: New World Library, 1999.

  ———. The Fragrant Mind. London: Doubleday, 1995.

  PERFUME BOTTLES

  A true art form, down to the tassels and labels, the presentation of perfume has had an extremely indulgent history. Interestingly, the commercial perfume bottles are far more interesting and beautiful than the bottles created to hold perfume on a vanity table. The Lalique book is filled with treasures, as is Commercial Perfume Bottles, but the piece de resistance of books on perfume packaging is Ken Leach’s.

  Ball, Joanne Dubbs, and Dorothy Hehl Torem. Commercial Fragrance Bottles. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1993.

  ———. Fragrance Bottle Masterpieces. West Chester, PA: Schiffer, 1996.

  Gaborit, Jean-Yves. Perfumes: The Essences and Their Bottles. New York: Rizzoli, 1985.

  Jones-North, Jacquelyne. Commercial Perfume Bottles. West Chester, PA: Schiffer, 1987.

  ———. Perfume, Cologne and Scent Bottles. West Chester, PA: Schiffer, 1986.

  Latimer, Tirza True. The Perfume Atomizer. West Chester, PA: Schiffer, 1991.

  Launert, Edmund. Perfume and Pomanders. Munich: Georg D.W. Callwey, 1987.

  Leach, Ken. Perfume, Presentation. Toronto: Kres Publishing, 1997.

  Utt, Mary Lou, and Glenn Utt, with Patricia Bayer. Lalique Perfume Bottles. London: Thames and Hudson, 1990.

  FROM PERFUMERIES

  Many perfumeries have self-published stylish and beautiful books about their fragrances. Lanvin enlisted Colette to write an introduction. The Romance of Perfume , sumptuously illustrated by George Barbier, has a wealth of information about the history of perfumery.

  Colette. L’Opera de l’Odorat. Paris: Lanvin Parfums, 1949.

  Leffingwell, Albert. Toujours de L’Avan
t. New York: Pinaud, 1928.

  Le Gallienne, Richard. The Romance of Perfume. New York: Richard Hudnut, 1928.

  Sentenac, Paul. History of a Perfumer. Paris: House of Houbigant, 1925.

  Willer, Ellen, and Phillippe Lorin. Jean Patou: Ma Collection. Paris: Jean Patou, 1964.

  Acknowledgments

  I’D LIKE TO GIVE special thanks to a few people for their help and support. In the world of fragrance, I am particularly indebted to Annette Green for her generosity and her ongoing encouragement of my work, and to Avery Gilbert, who read and commented on sections of the manuscript. Eleanor Bertino helped me to get launched in the world of perfume. Jean Dougherty scanned all the art that appears in the book, handling my treasured old books with care and giving the images a new lease on life. Joel Bernstein helped with the photographs, deploying his characteristic perfectionism. Kudos to Susan Mitchell, Sanjay Kothari, and Abby Kagan for an inspired design that satisfies my fondest hopes for the look of the book, and thanks to Katrin Wilde for her unflappable good nature and attention to countless details. As ever, I am grateful to my agent, Peter Matson, for his warmth and his unwavering belief in me in all ways.

  Ina Risman and Karen Dempsey go to lawyer heaven for their unlawyerly compassion and for bringing their formidable intelligence and skill to the aid of a damsel in distress. William Vollman has been a loyal and protective friend. Robin Lakoff has stood by me on all fronts and has never ceased to encourage my development as a writer. I appreciate Patty Curtan’s generosity as well as her incomparable eye for design.

  Above all, I want to thank Chris Chapman for a love and a deep connection that have immeasurably enriched my life; and Chloe, my daughter, the most precious gift of my life.