While the use of face powder is centuries old, it was during the 20th century that it developed both technically and chemically, and also in its uses and its containers, the powder box and then the compact. From the end of the 19th century, cardboard became the material of choice for powder boxes, which experienced their golden age from the Belle Époque to the 1960s. The appearance of compressed powder in 1914 made a success of the compact. This mass production of powder boxes, varied in their shapes and their materials, is a reflection of society at the turn of the 20th century, both in the evolution of customs and in female emancipation.
After having worked for twenty years as a heritage curator, Anne de Thoisy-Dallem is now striving to develop her major collection of compacts and powder boxes.This collection is made up of more than 500 objects, with powder boxes, perfume bottles, etc. The reflection of two centuries of decorative art.
- To be discovered at Bibliothèque Forney, 1 rue du Figuier, Paris 4th arrondissement.
- Free entry on presentation of a health pass from Tuesday to Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Guided tours on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m.
For more information on the event: click here
