There is a great body of literature indirectly related to perfume bottles and a very small body that directly relates. Consequently, it has proven to be quite difficult to determine which areas to include and which are outside the scope of my research interest. Presently, the literature is not specific to perfume bottles, though a dialogue of connoisseurship exists. Connoisseurship alone does not provide an accurate or relevant account of the factors that influence bottle design or consumption and advertising issues. A combination of subject areas serves to unify the object within a social context.
The useful texts can be grouped into four broad areas
My literature review in the preliminary stages encompassed these four areas plus a component on material culture theory.
In the existing literature on Perfume, the authors primarily focus on the history of scent. The literature is published for general audiences and does not contain detailed or scientific material as exemplified through the works of Foster (1966), Sagarin (1945), Ellis (1960) and Donato et al. (1980). These works illustrate the lack of consensus among perfume historians about the origins of production and the impact/importance of perfumes in the world (i.e. Donato et al., stresses trade routes while Ellis focuses on production and animal extract).
The body of literature on perfume history is quite diverse, each work bring forth new variables to account popularity and trade relations. I will focus on perfumes of the twentieth century, more specifically those available in a mass produced commercial market. For this, the work of Ellis is of particular value. Ellis not only provides a history of perfume production, but he more importantly adds a chapter on use and selection of perfume for women. The passage provides insight into gender, advertising and social ideology of the ideal woman. The chapter is even more relevant because it was written by a male.
Recent perfume literature has focused on identification of ancient recipes through textual and scientific means. Biers et al (1994) tested the residues of Corinthian perfume containers to determine composition. Perfume literature does not adequately address perfume production during the nineteenth and twentieth century. My research on perfume bottles will fill in a part of this void.
The literature on glass making is of two types. In one school, the authors write form a connoisseurship perspective. The literature is frequently glass maker specific as in the case of Percy(1977), The Glass of LaliqueEmphasis has been placed on identification of time period and glass house. In the other school, the authors write from a coffee table history perspective. The sources contain either lovely pictures and a smattering of history or heavy historical text. This school focuses on geographical areas, glass makers and local histories (see North (1986)), Douglas ad Frank (1972), and Haynes (1943). The body of literature provides only cursory information on economic conditions and status concerns. It also ignores the artistic and folk aspects.
Package design and advertising literature is quite uniform. Authors present theory in design and marketing as well as case studies. The psychology of the consumer is stressed in works by Guss, O'Shaugnessy, Ewen, Bender, Selame et al., Cheskin, Dichter and Wackerman. These works are remarkably consistent and stress the need to coincide package design with advertising because in this day, the image is sold and the product is secondary. Sutnar's 1953 book is of particular value to my study. the author directly addresses the visual aspects of packaging. he provides clear examples of perfume and cosmetic container design. he also includes anecdotal information on gift giving and aesthetics.
Gender and issues of consumption is a broad interdisciplinary topic of which I have made a tepid attempt to grasp. Belk, Auslander, Cubitt, Forty, McCracken and Rappaport address the rise of consumerism and its transformative nature. Peiss, Making Up, Making Over is useful as it addresses the specific issues of cosmetics McCracken has proved to be the most useful source however. His work "Big Hair" did not seem very relevant at first due to the extent of the anecdotal information. Upon contemplation, I have discovered that his work marries closely with my own research on bottle design. It alone addresses the transformative nature of cosmetics (in detail) in the late twentieth century.
My research into the historiography of perfume bottles is far from over.