1839 Bristol Chemists Urgently Seeking Eau de Cologne

 

 

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This short business letter boasts a stylish wax seal (unbroken) and stylish handwriting which, however , might baffle a reader more  accustomed to French or German. Indeed, I could not read the last name of the Bristol firm (Score) and resorted to Bristol street directories. But had I paid attention to the docketing note added by the recipient I need not have troubled myself:  in handwriting which suggests native familiarity with English the docketing reads “1839 Bristol 31 Aug^t  Ferris Brown & Score R [eceived / or it could be eçu] 5 Septb^r  and R[eplied/épondu] 12 Sept^r”

The firm of Jean Maria Farina still exists and still manufactures the Eau de Cologne invented by the Italian-born Giovanni Maria Farina (1685 – 1766) who settled in German-speaking Köln but traded in fashionable French; the outside of this letter is thus addressed in French with the German Jülichs-Platz rendered as the Place de Juliers, something which seems not to have troubled the Köln/ Cologne mail sorters; the name “Farina” in the top line would be enough for them.

The moral of this letter, as of many others in this collection, is that European cities a this time were cosmopolitan places where you could expect to hear many languages spoken and many nationalities represented. And, clearly, there were eager customers in the wealthy ex-slaving port of Bristol for boxes of goods produced by an Italian family now firmly settled in Germany and producing an eau de toilette labelled in French.

 

Addressed to:

Mons^r  Jean Marie Farina, Place de Juliers [Jülichs-Platz in Geeman]

Cologne

Endorsed Paid [ Postage paid in advance]

Bristol August 31^st 1839

Sirs

About two months since we wrote to you for the usual supply of Eau de Cologne which we are in great want of but hearing nothing from you on the subject we fear our Letter must have miscarried – this therefore is to beg the favor of your sending us P[er] the first Vessel to Bristol London ~ Liverpool a Case Containing 50 Boxes without fail & oblige your Ob [edient] Ser[van]ts

Ferris Brown & Score

Mons Jean Marie Farina

Cologne