In this guide I will discuss a brief history and the various perfumes presented by Richard Hudnut from 1895 to 1961.

Around 1880, a small pharmacy was opened in New York city and sold perfumes, cosmetics and assorted toiletries. Richard Hudnut, the son of the proprietor of the shop, became the first American selling luxury perfume presentations, (though some of these were created in France) in an elegant shop which was directly influenced by the French and European perfumeries.

In 1916, the company was sold to Henry & Gustavus Adolphus Pfeiffer and Richard Hudnut was no longer involved in the business. As a result of this, Gustavus Adolphus became the president of the Richard Hudnut Company.  In the 1920s, the company had expanded into Europe, and acquired the French style. The company proudced several luxurious presentations during the 1920s but the quality of designs declined gradually starting in the 1930s and right on thru to the 1950s.

When Richard Hudnut opened a new shopat 20 rue de la Paix, Paris in 1927, he introduced four new blends of perfumes called Le Debut. Each perfume was of the same Art Deco octagonal shape, but had it's own color to suggest four different moods. Original boxes are rare to find, but if you are lucky enough you might find that Le Debut Vert came in a green box, Le Debut Blanc came in a white box, Le Debute Noir came in a red box and Le Debut Bleu came in a blue box. The rarest bottle color is the white bottle. The perfume bottles came in five different sizes from 5 1/8" tall to diminutive 1 1/4" tall bottles. Matching compacts and vanity cases were also sold.

Please do not confuse this bottle with the blue 1987 bottle for LouLou by Cacharel, the stoppers are completely different.

Le Debut Vert: the color green for Adventure

Le Debut Blanc: the color white for Gaiety.

Le Debut Bleu: the color blue for Romance.

Le Debut Noir: the color black for Sophistication.

Lily of the Valley circa 1920

The perfumes of Richard Hudnut:

• 1880 Queen Anne Cologne
• 1880 English Lavender
• 1880 English Lavender
• 1880 Carnation Pink
• 1880 Carnegie Pink
• 1880 Imperial Violets
• 1880 Jockey Club
• 1880 Lily of the Valley
• 1880 Orange Blossoms
• 1880 Persian Heliotrope
• 1880 Peau D'Espagne
• 1880 Sweet Verbena
• 1880 White Hyacinths
• 1889 Jack Rose
• 1893 Peau d'Espagne
• 1894 Bouquet Melba
• 1894 Heliotrope
• 1894 Imperial Russe
• 1894 Infant Eulalie
• 1894 Japonotis
• 1894 Jasminax
• 1894 Jockey Club
• 1894 Lillian Russell
• 1894 Lily of the Valley
• 1895 Indianotis
• 1895 Phantom
• 1895 Lilyopsis
• 1895 Moska Lily
• 1895 Opoponax
• 1895 Chypre
• 1895 Gardenia
• 1895 Sappho Pink
• 1895 Sweet Orchids
• 1895 White Rose
• 1895 White Lilac
• 1895 Stephanotis
• 1895 Zanzibar Lily
• 1895 White Iris
• 1895 White Heliotrope
• 1895 Vert Rose
• 1895 Verveine
• 1895 Vetiver
• 1896 Violet Superba
• 1896 Violet Sec
• 1896 Violette Superba
• 1896 Violet Extreme
• 1896 Napoleon Violet
• 1896 San Remo Violet
• 1896 Sweet Violet
• 1896 Portugal
• 1896 Mexican Cactus
• 1896 Wood Violet
• 1896 Concrete,Essence of Violet
• 1896 Imperial Russe
• 1898 Yanky
• 1898 Yanky Clover, reintroduced in 1948
• 1902 Cardinal
• 1902 Du Barry
• 1902 Aimee
• 1902 Violet Sec Toilet Water
• 1903 Cypresia
• 1903 Yadma
• 1903 Veldt Blumen
• 1903 Monalisa
• 1904 Chrysis
• 1904 La Reve
• 1908 925 Cologne
• 1908 Ambree
• 1908 Ambree Rosa
• 1908 Ambree Violet
• 1908 Violet Superba
• 1908 Bay Rum
• 1908 Cardinal Lily
• 1908 Concrete Essence of Violet
• 1908 Double Peau d'Espagne
• 1908 Florida Water
• 1908 Ideal Pink
• 1908 Ideal Violet
• 1908 Marvelous
• 1908 Moresco
• 1910 Frangi Pansy
• 1910 Headache Cologne
• 1910 Mexican Cactus Cologne
• 1910 Myrtis
• 1910 Quadruple Orris
• 1910 Vanity
• 1910 Rose Rosee
• 1910 Eros
• 1910 Sweet Lavender
• 1910 Yadma
• 1910 Yanky Pink
• 1910 Yanky Rose
• 1910 Yanky Tea Rose
• 1910 Sandalwood
• 1912 Elaine
• 1923 Superba
• 1912 Heart of the Heliotrope
• 1912 Soul of the Violet
• 1912 Extreme
• 1912 Rose of Omar
• 1913 Plaza
• 1914 Tout Mon Jardin
• 1914 Hudnutine
• 1915 Three Flowers, reintroduced in 1923
• 1920 Acrasia
• 1920 Watteau
• 1920 Lily of the Valley
• 1923 Barcarolle
• 1923 Silhouette
• 1923 Spring Song
• 1923 Serenade
• 1924 Deauville
• 1924 Pour Vous
• 1924 Gemey
• 1924 Mitzi
• 1924 Temple d'Amour
• 1924 Fleurs A Vous
• 1924 Maytime
• 1925 Bon Voyage
• 1925 Mon Souvenir
• 1925 Gondola
• 1926 La Soiree
• 1926 La Reverie
• 1927 La Pyramide
• 1927 Les Cascades
• 1927 Deauville Perfume Pats
• 1927 Le Debut
• 1927 Le Debut Blanc
• 1927 Le Debut Verte
• 1927 Le Debut Bleue
• 1927 Le Debut Noir
• 1928 Richesse
• 1929 Tres Flores
• 1932 Chevron
• 1936 R.S.V.P.
• 1937 Teak
• 1937 Vogue
• 1944 Blizzard
• 1945 Promenade
• 1946 Firebrand
• 1946 Prmitive
• 1947 Angel Choir
• 1947 Prediction
• 1948 Grand Gesture
• 1948 Frozen Champagne
• 1950 Harlequin
• 1950 Kaleidoscope
• 1951 Magic Lantern
• 1951 Champagne Taste
• 1951 Fragrance Frills
• 1951 Dream House
• 1951 Frozen Fragrance
• 1952 Tres Gai
• 1954 Charmed Circle
• 1954 Monkey Business
• 1954 Victorian Fragrances
• 1954 Twinkle Toes
• 1954 Perfume Jewels
• 1953 Pet Fragrance
• 1955 Guys And Dolls
• 1955 Two Little Indians
• 1956 Young Folks
• 1957 Oh La La!
• 1957 Seven Winds
• 1958 Drei Blumen
• 1961 Fatale

Feel free to email me for details or any questions. I also have a perfume identification and appraisal service here on ebay, click on my  Me page for info.Please see my site at www .freewebs. com/cleopatrasboudoir 

 Check out the 200+ guides & reviews  I have written on perfumes on ebay.If you find my guide helpful, please vote YES below. Thanks!

I am always looking to add pictures to my listings. If you have any pictures of your perfumes you'd like to donate to the guide, please contact me. Full credit is given with any picture submitted. Thanks!

Thanks to Passion for Perfume, gaynl, cellarbuy1