Voyage a Paris by Corday c1932

Voyage a Paris by Corday: launched in 1932. In USA by 1935. The perfume was created to be worn with furs.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a heady floral ambery fragrance for women. It begins with sharp aldehydes and bright citrus zest, followed by a rosy floral heart punctuated with exotic dry spices, resting on a woodsy base with traces of balsamic notes of vanilla and benzoin, with a drydown of precious sandalwood and cedar.

• Top notes: aldehydes, citrus (lemon, bergamot, orange, lime), neroli
• Middle notes: rose, jasmine, carnation, honey, clove, coriander, nutmeg
• Base notes: ambergris, musk, labdanum, oakmoss, vanilla, sandalwood, tonka bean, storax, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver, cedar

Having a bottle of Voyage a Paris parfum, I was able to detect the soft scent of the "mellis accord". It may have been built around a special base called Melysflor, a Firmenich base that is the equivalent of Givaudan's Melittis accord. These two bases known as "mellis accords" were made up of benzyl salicylate, patchouli, spicy clove (via eugenol) and lily of the valley (traditionally via the aromachemical hydroxycitronellal), cinnamon, woody notes and coumarin (a crystal derived from tonka beans).

Melysflor was also used in Jean Patou's Moment Supreme, Mon Image by Lucien Lelong,  Elizabeth Arden's Blue Grass and Dana's Tabu. 

Bottles:

The deluxe parfum bottles for Voyage a Paris were manufactured by Baccarat. The Parfum bottle in the center of the photograph stands 4.75" tall. The bottle with the black stopper stands 3.75" tall.  The 1/4 oz size bottle stands 2.25" tall and has a dauber at the end of its ground glass stopper. The smallest size, holding 1 dram (1/8 oz), stands 1.75" tall.

The Eau de Cologne bottle is a modified version of the parfum bottle but was not made by Baccarat. It stands 5" tall and has an unusual stepped oblong shape with a long neck and a spiral shaped disk ground glass stopper. Base is about 3.25" long by 2-7/8" wide.

Esquire, 1935:

"Men who know Women know Corday . . . they know without being told that every woman's heart quickens at the thought of Voyage a Paris — the perfume favored by the Parisienne ...*15 the bottle."

The Pittsburgh Press - Dec 21, 1937:

"Gift Perfumes Say, romantically yours -VOYAGE A PARIS. Corday translates the charm of the gayest city in the world - the thrill of beautifully gowned women. $2.28 to $18.00." 

Stage, 1937:

"No "museum" piece is this new triumph by CORDAY. Voyage a Paris is the perfume for women who live with a lilt to the hilt for today — heedless of yesterday — and with a "Nichevo" for tomorrow! For this is a "heady" perfume — reckless  ---with a superb subtlety and a teasing, tantalizing bouquet - a new thrill for Eros and a new pipe for Pan! The magic substance of which glamour is made!"

Drug and Cosmetic Industry, Volume 41, 1937:

"CORDAY Corday has created an eau de Cologne to match the "Voyage a Paris" perfume. It has the same heady, exciting fragrance, remarkably strong and lasting. Its bottle is a replica of the perfume flask, but turned on its side and given a long neck."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold in 1941.

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