#History #Tokalon #Brand #Patent #Drawings
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ART DECO ERA TOKALON FACE POWDER COMPACT
The Tokalon case shown above is ornamented with guilloche engraved designs which were so fashionable during the Art Deco era. This decorative technique appears to give the design the impression of movement when the light source, be it sunrays or an electric bulb, hits the surface.
We are not sure which company made this compact case for the Tokalon brand but we do know that the Simon Zinn Company manufactured cases for the Anglo-French Tokalon brand. This company made vanities to hold Tokalon brand rouge or face powder. During the 1920s and 1930s there was a heavy reliance on American case manufacturers which supplied the British market with finished and part finished vanity boxes.
ORIGINAL POWDER PUFF & POWDER PLATE
The base of the puff is fashioned from lambs wool. The plate contains the palest powder (Rachel).
In the 1920s and 1930s very pale face powder was much in demand, although there was also a wide variety of shades to suit all the beautiful skin tones. The palest colour was often referred to as Rachel.
POUDRE TOKALON BOX FRONT
POUDRE TOKALON BOX BASE
Tokalon Ltd. offered these shades of powder:
Rachel, Clair*, Rachette, Apricot, Rose Peach, Ochre Rosee, Rose Brunette, Natural, Peach, Brunette, Suntan, Rose Natural & Evening Green
*The shade known as Clair may have part of the name obscured by the sealing band, as Rachette does.
The design of this box was patented by Tokalon Ltd. The inventor is named Sidney Scott Lundie.
PATENT NO. 393729 1933
PATENT NO. 393729 1933
On the box base we see – BRIT. LETTERS PATENT NO. 511827 this refers to the Tokalon Ltd. formulation detailed below.
Improvements in or relating to ingredients for the manufacture of cosmetics
Abstract
511,827. Cosmetics. ATKINS, F., and TOKALON, Ltd. Jan. 3, 1939, No. 195. [Class 81 (i)] [Also in Group III]
A material useful in the manufacture of cosmetics is prepared by treating a mixture of dairy cream, olive oil and pancreatin with an alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate and removing the solid product from the top of the reaction mixture after the effervescence has ceased, the process being carried out in a single stage.
The material so prepared may be mixed with precipitated chalk, talc, kaolin, zinc oxide, starch &c. to produce a face powder, or with an alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate, glycerine, stearic acid & c. to produce a cream. Specification 218,154, [Class 131], is referred to.
PATENT NO. 511827 1939
PATENT NO. 511827 1939
It would be natural to assume after reading the patented specification shown above that Tokalon Ltd. were manufacturing chemists.
The complete patent specification for an electrical hairbrush which dates to 1915 confirms this assumption to be true.
Patent no. 4908 (191404908) also lists their premises as being located at 212 Great Portland Street, London. The General Manager at this time was Milan Francis Pratt.
One of the firm’s products was known as Bisurated Magnesia (see May 9 1914 The Chemist And Druggist advertisement). The firm’s address is listed as being 212/214 Great Portland Street, London, W. at the bottom of this trade listing.
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST 1914
212 GREAT PORTLAND STREET LONDON W1 (RIGHT)
PATENT NO. 191404908 1915
PATENT NO. 191404908 1915
Tokalon Ltd. and Mentmore Manufacturing Co. Ltd. patented the following:
Improvements in or relating to Containers for Lipstick and the like
We, MENTMORE MANUFACTURING CO. LIMITED,
a Company registered under the laws of Great Britain, of Tudor Grove, Well Street, Hackney, Lonidon, E.9, TOKALON LIMITED, a Company registered under the laws of Great Britain, of 366, Oxford Street, London, W.I, and HENRY FRANKEL, a Subject of the.King of Great Britain, of 18, Richmond Hill Court, Richmond, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to containers for lipstick and the like, such as for example …
…styptic pencils** or other articles.
** Styptic pencils are medicated sticks that stops bleeding from minor cuts, usually from shaving. They are made from an astringent compound which constricts blood vessels and helps clot the blood. Styptic pencils also have antiseptic properties that help prevent infection.
Mentmore Manufacturing Co. Ltd. are credited as being the inventors of the cartridge pen, the retractable ballpoint pen, and the felt tip.
BRITISH INDUSTRIES FAIR TRADE LISTING 1922
PATENT NO. 583343 1946
PATENT NO. 583343 1946
We have found 34 patented designs registered to Tokalon. These include French patents which relate to improvements to face powder, soap, crayon à poudre, formulations based on vitamins intended to be incorporated into products, an etui, a compact with two compartments, presumably for rouge and face powder and a shelf system.
The French & British fascination for all things Egyptian was sometimes reflected in Tokalon advertising literature.
RENEE DEVILLE ENDORSING TOKALON KIJJA
Extract from the Chemist And Druggist:
Tokalon , Ltd ., Poudre and Creme Tokalon , Kijja ( liquid white )
We are delighted to share this invoice with you.
It is so interesting to see the products listed.
The business premises of Tokalon S.A. are listed as 183 rue de la Pompe, PARIS 16 R.C. Seine.
The invoice dates to 1941.
1941 TOKALON S.A. INVOICE
The Tokalon brand vanities are so well made that even after more than nine decades it is possible to find them replete with wonderfully vibrant gilding, the original face powder and even the original powder puff.
GILDED INTERIOR CASE
This compact contains the original powder plate.
We are sure that you are aware that old makeup is not safe to use.
The image above shows the remarkably durable gilding that was applied over 90 years ago.
The interior of the compact will not require cleaning, except to wipe away powder residue.
Addresses:
Tokalon Limited, 212/214 Great Portland Street, London W.
Tokalon Limited, Chase Road, London N.W. 10.
Tokalon Limited, 366 Oxford Street, London, W.I
Tokalon S.A. 183 rue de la Pompe, PARIS 16 R.C. Seine (1941)
More wonderful antique and vintage powder compacts.
Sources:
Patent Office
Druggist And Chemist
Michael Hetherington’s Compact Blogspot
Graces Guide
