Caswell-Massey Perfumes

Established by a Scotsman who settled in America in 1752, Caswell-Massey is a fragrance brand with a rich history, making it more venerable than many European perfume manufacturers. Amidst European competitors like Farina in Cologne (1709), Floris of London (1730), and Galimard from Grasse (1747), Caswell-Massey's American origins surprise many fragrance enthusiasts. However, its longstanding tradition sets it apart. Even the renowned Farina, the oldest perfume house, cannot claim the same continuous heritage. In the mid-18th century, Dr. William Hunter founded Caswell-Massey as a modest venture, initially focusing on pharmaceutical and apothecary products, a common start for early toiletry manufacturers worldwide. As the demand for luxury toiletries and fragrances rose towards the end of the 18th century, Hunter responded by crafting 20 distinctive fragrances. Among them, "Number Six" became a favored scent of George Washington and John Adams. Throughout the early to mid-19th century, the company changed ownership and names several times, developing legendary fragrances like "Jockey Club" (1840) favored by John F. Kennedy and Castile Soap (1860) cherished by Abraham Lincoln. In 1876, the brand adopted its current name when John Rose Caswell and William Massey took the helm, expanding to ten retail stores by the turn of the century. Caswell-Massey's popularity attracted a prestigious clientele, including the Astor and Vanderbilt families, Edgar Allan Poe, George Gershwin, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jacqueline Onassis, and musicians from the Rolling Stones.