Throughout history vanity sets have been very popular. Everyone from Napoleon to Lily Langtree have enjoyed these ormolu accessories, many gilded in 24 karat gold. The word ormolu is used for a gold colored alloy of zinc and copper cast into shapes and gilded over fire with an amalgam of gold. Napoleon named his set “Necessaire de Voyage,” and I’m sure he traveled with it everywhere in his bid to rule the world. I was gifted my set, the Matson “Golden Rose” for a very special anniversary gift, and have always taken very good care of it. The 24 karat gold coating means the set looks virtually the same as the day I received it and each object is beautiful in its own way.
Bedroom furnishings are changing these days, and I no longer have a dresser, so the set resides on my bathroom vanity.
The set was purchased at Wieboldt’s, one of the old “brick and mortar” department stores, where treasures were stored in glass cases and helpful saleswomen were trained to display the finery. A lot of these old stores like Foley’s or Marshall Field have been gobbled up by Macy’s, while Carson Pirie & Scott was bought by Bon Ton. The retail landscape is changing, and our buying habits are turning toward online purchases.
However, the beauty of the old treasures displayed here will not dim with time. If you visit Ebay or Etsy or others you can find many sets or partial sets for sale.