Luxury Goods

The makers and distributors of luxury goods, or those products which they wished to position as status-enhancers, found The New Yorker fertile ground. An elegant blonde in a draped white gown by Ceil Chapman, jewelry by Harry Winston and an ermine wrap pushed Parfum Platine by Dana, in competition with advertiser Chanel No. 5, “The Most Treasured Name in Perfume.” To perfect one’s look, there was Germaine Monteil cosmetics and Charles of the Ritz Complexion Veil.

Eatons fine “personality” letter paper presented “the real you, no smoke screen or pretension.” Dawnelle was a glove “designed for drama” from Manne &Weill with drawstrings for three lengths at $5.50 and Kimball’s had kerchiefs. Webb Young Trader in Santa Fe offered a silver choker by mail order.

If you were in the market for a watch, Patek Philippe, established in 1839, was “the world’s foremost watch,” for sale at leading jewelers, while Hamilton was “the fine American watch,” and “the watch of railroad accuracy.” Gault provided natural color portrait photography with the “charm of a painting” but Fabian Bachrach was the photographer of men at significant stages of their lives.

There was an auction that week at Parke-Bernet on E. 57th St of English period furniture and decorations, from the property of Mrs Stevenson Scott (widow of a prominent art dealer), the estate of the late Ashbel H. Barney (of Salomon Smith Barney) and others.