Lei in a Bottle: Collecting Hawaiian Perfume Bottles
By Gwen Olins and Evan Olins
The Hawaiian perfume bottle emerged from the desire to take fragrant lei to the mainland before jet tra
vel made it possible
. Today these carved wood bottles are among the finest examples of Hawai'i's arts
and crafts movement and eagerly sought by collectors.
In their story of the Hawaiian perfume bottle, authors Gwen and Evan Olins evoke the romance, glamour, and creativity of Hawai'i in the 1930s through
'60s. By unveiling their extensive collections, they reveal how the finest artistry of the time revolved around Hawai'i's natural forms and fragrances.
Don Blanding, Gump's, Paradise of the Pacific, Hula-Lei, Browny Perfumes—they're old friends and icons to lovers of Hawaiiana. And they're coming to you this September in Lei in a Bottle: Collecting Hawaiian Perfume Bottles, written by the deans of vintage Hawaiiana and published by Hula Moon Press.
After more than four years of research, writing, and photography our book "Lei in a Bottle, Collecting Hawaiian Perfume Bottles" is printed and on its way to us. It is a beautiful soft cover book containing well over 200 photos of Hawaiian perfume bottles. The publisher is Hula Moon Press, owned by Jocelyn Fujii who also edited our book. She is the author of 'Under the Hula Moon", the wonderful book on Hawaiian homes and interiors. Most of the bottles are the famous carved wooden containers. Made from Monkeypod, Koa, and Milo they were a prime example of Hawaii's arts and crafts movement from the 1930s until Statehood. In addition there are many rare and fascinating glass and metal bottles. Included are photos of packaging art, artists, graphics and advertisements. Vignettes of Don Blanding, Fritz Abplanalp, Alice Spaulding Bowen and many more of those responsible for the success of this genre can be found in these pages. While the photos and graphics are stunning, the actual stories of how the Hawaiian perfume industry came to be is captivating. There is even an ad for Aloha Perfume, a mainland product from 1884. The cover price is $19.95.One to three books can be shipped Priority Mail for $4.80. For greater quantities email us at hulaheaven@aol.com. Foreign buyers must e mail before ordering to obtain shipping costs.
Click cover for a look at the book
Click perfume bottles for larger views