The Book of Perfumes‪.‬

Elibron Classics. Digitized replica of 1865 edition by Chapman and Hall, London. This is an illustrated edition.

Arguably the seminal book on perfume, written in the 19th century the book resonates through the ages. Written in elegant Victorian prose the book combines considerable scientific and practical knowledge with considerable applied anthropology. Some references and the writing might seem somewhat antiquated but this only adds to the depth and veracity of the work.


Eugene Rimmel (1820 – 1887) was a French-born British perfumer and businessman responsible for manufacturing and marketing some of the earliest commercially made cosmetics.