Ernest Daltroff

Ernest Léon René Lucien Daltroff was born to an upper middle class family originally from Russia. His mother Ida-Caroline Bing used to put a drop of her perfume behind her son's ears before bed as a child.{{cite book|author=Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg|title= Caron|publisher =Milan (fr/en)|date= 2000| isbn=9782841138616|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTOuPAAACAAJ}}

In his youth Ernest Daltroff travelled and then worked in the clothing industry.

In 1900, he visited the Exposition Universelle.{{cite book|author=Annick Le-Guérer|title=Le Parfum : des origines à nos jours|publisher= Odile Jacob|language=fr|date=2005|pages= 198–199–200|isbn=9782738187833|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nwNCnERRQuEC&q=Caron}}

Shortly after, as he memorised the captivating scents of flowers, fruits and spices and developed an exceptional olfactory memory, without any formal training, he chose to embark on the profession of perfumer.

In 1903, with his brother Raoul, he established a workshop in Asnières-sur-Seine in the former perfumery "Emilia", 12 avenue de la Lauzière. Then in 1904, at the age of thirty-seven, he set up his company in premises located in the heart of Paris, at 10 rue de la Paix. Already planning to reach an international market,{{cite book|author= Susan Irvine|title= Perfume|publisher=Random House Value Publishing|date=1995 |page=102|isbn=9780517141595|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=09k9jDVr8iwC&q=Ernest+Daltroff }} he partly adopted the name of the small "Mercerie Parfumerie Caron" at 20 rue Rossini (9th arrondissement of Paris), bought from Madame Anne-Marie Caron on 1 August 1903. He chose "Parfums Caron", a short name easily remembered and pronounced in several languages while still being associated with France, rather than his own foreign sounding name, in a country still troubled by the Dreyfus affair.{{Cite book|author=Jean Watin-Augouard|title=Marques de luxe françaises|publisher=Eyrolles|date=2009| page=66|language=fr|isbn=9782212544930|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ejstAQAAIAAJ&q=Jean+Watin-+Augouard+affaire+Dreyfus}}

In 1906, he met Félicie Wanpouille, a young milliner who worked on the same rue de la Paix; She introduced him to her clients and became his collaborator and muse.

While Daltroff created fragrances, Wanpouille designed bottles and served as an artistic director,[http://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk/library/perfume/bottlers/images/Vanpouille.htm Perfume intelligence.co.uk, bottlers : Vanpouille, Félicie]. together they launched great women's perfumes such as Narcisse Noir in 1911, N'aimez Que Moi in 1917.

After World War I, in 1918, Ernest Daltroff was invited to attend the Bronx International Exposition of Science, Arts and Industries in New York with his competitor François Coty. He won the prize for the most go ahead company, which opened up the American market for him during the inter-war period.{{cite book |author= Nigel Groom |date=1997 |title=New Perfume Handbook |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=UYrDPqLVD-kC&pg=PA53 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |page=53 |isbn=9780751404036}}

Many creations followed, including: Tabac Blond, En Avion, Fleurs De Rocaille and Nuit de Noël;[https://books.google.com/books?id=YZIhAQAAMAAJ&dq=Caron+Corp.+Fifth+Avenue&pg=RA4-PA64 Advertisement in Arts & Decoration, Volumes 21-22, Artspur publications, Incorporated, 1924, page 64.] In his innovative palette, like François Coty, Daltroff often incorporated the bases produced by Mr. Naef and the Fabriques de Laire, in particular Mousse de Saxe.[https://www.cafleurebon.com/cafleurebon-perfumer-signatures-part-1-jaques-guerlain-francois-coty-and-ernest-daltroff-guerlinade-chypre-and-mousse-de-saxe/ Perfumer Signatures: Part 1~Jaques Guerlain, Francois Coty and Ernest Daltroff “Guerlinade, Chypre, and Mousse de Saxe”, January 22, 2017, cafleurebon.com]

Pour Un Homme , Parfum de Caron - Vogue, January 1934.jpg| Parfums Caron, Vogue 1934.

In 1923 a Caron boutique was opened on Fifth Avenue in New York.{{cite book |author=Geoffrey Jones|date=2010 |title=Beauty Imagined : A history of the global Beauty industry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pRMUDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA107|location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=107 |isbn=9780199556496}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=YZIhAQAAMAAJ&dq=Caron+Corp.+Fifth+Avenue&pg=RA4-PA64 Arts & Decoration, Volumes 21-22, 1924, {{p.|64}}]

In 1932, Daltroff marries Madeleine Briet (1888-1987),(fr) [http://archives.paris.fr/s/4/etat-civil-actes/? Paris archives, 1932, Mariages : November 24 to December 31, cote 8M 270, 8th arrondissement, page 18, acte 950]. and

in 1934, Ernest Daltroff, who was always convinced that a man should wear perfume, launched Pour Un Homme, at a time, when men mainly used cologne.

In 1939, the rise of antisemitism led Ernest Daltroff to take refuge in the United States,{{cite web|url=https://www.luckyscent.com/perfumers/40/ernest-daltroff|title=Ernest Daltroff, Perfumers Directory - Luckyscent|website=www.luckyscent.com|access-date=17 December 2017}} arriving early 1940 on board The Manhattan and registering at Ellis Island.[https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-result Passenger result] on Libertyfoundation.org. In France, Félicie took over the reins of the house until 1962 with Michel Morsetti, a perfumer trained by Daltroff. Ernest Daltroff never returned to Europe, and died in New York on February 3, 1941. He is resting in the Quogue Cemetery, New York.[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20657727 Find a grave.com].

In 2000, in homage to Ernest Daltroff, perfumer Richard Fraysse created for the house of Caron, Lady Caron presented in a bottle engraved with the Statue of Liberty. "The challenge was, fifty years later, to imagine what Daltroff would have liked to create for the American woman".

Ernest Daltroff is described by Nathalie Chahine as the most subtle perfumer of his time whose work was closest to that of painters and musicians.{{cite book|author=Nathalie Chahine|title=Beauty: The Twentieth Century |publisher=Universe|date=2000|page=336 |isbn= 9780789305121|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8GcQAQAAIAAJ&q=Ernest+Daltroff}} His legacy continues in the world of perfume and still influences modern perfumers, says Michael Edwards.{{cite book|author=Michael Edwards|title=Perfume Legends : French feminine fragrances|year=1996|publisher= Michael Edwards, 1996|isbn=9780646277943}}

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• [http://www.perfumeprojects.com/museum/marketers/Caron.shtml Ernest Daltroff, by Philip Goutell] on Lightyears, Inc.

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Category:1867 births

Category:1941 deaths

Category:French perfumers

Category:French company founders