Harriet Hubbard Ayer
Harriet Hubbard Ayer (born June 27, 1849 in Chicago , † November 23, 1903 in New York ) was an American cosmetics entrepreneur. The Ayer cosmetics brand bears the name of its founder.
Life
Harriet Hubbard Ayer was born on June 27, 1849 in Chicago, the daughter of the successful real estate agent George Hubbard. Her family used to be in the upper class of Chicago. Young Harriet has been described as an introverted and fearful child. She received private lessons. At 15 she finished her school education. At the age of 16, she married the wealthy iron merchant Herbert Copeland Ayer in 1865. They had three daughters, one of whom died early.
Harriet Hubbard Ayer was totally and passionately devoted to social and cultural life. She traveled, read a lot, acted in theater and translated some French dramas. This carefree phase of her life came to an abrupt end when her husband's business failed and she had to take on the burden of looking after her children herself. At times she worked as a decorator and saleswoman in an exclusive furniture store. After being married for 21 years, they divorced in 1886.
As a result, she also had to go her own way professionally. She founded a cosmetics company in New York and made a face cream, the formula of which she had acquired exclusively from a French pharmacist during a trip to Paris. This cream is said to have already been used by Madame Récamier, a famous contemporary of Napoleon. In addition to her own name, Harriet Hubbard Ayer put the name Récamiers on the cream label, making her product known nationwide and proving herself to be a pioneer of modern advertising psychology.
However, family problems soon overshadowed her professional success and that of her company. James Seymour, business partner and father-in-law of her daughter Harriet of the same name, claimed she was insane and was running down the company. A long period of personal and judicial disputes followed, which ultimately resulted in her losing her business.
In 1896 she was hired by the editor of "New York World" and wrote a weekly column with beauty tips until her death. Your articles became a huge success. The women from the poorer social classes were also enthusiastic readers, as they were able to learn the beauty secrets of prominent women. Using common sense, Harriet Hubbard Ayer reported and gave advice on personal hygiene, appropriate clothing, healthy diet and exercise.
The women of that time longed for beauty information, which was reflected in the many daily inquiries. Harriet Hubbard then published a book in 1899 in which she gives practical ideas, recipes and suggestions for personal hygiene on 500 pages. In addition to cosmetic advice, this includes instructions on gymnastics exercises, explanations about massage techniques and nutrition tips. With these contributions, she can be seen as a pioneer of modern holistic cosmetics. Your nutritional and cosmetic tips have not lost their relevance to this day. When Harriet Hubbard Ayer died of pneumonia in New York in 1903, this “grande dame” had laid the foundations for modern cosmetics.
Act
Harriet Hubbard Ayer was a pioneer of the famous American cosmetics entrepreneurs of the 20th century: before Helena Rubinstein (1870–1965), Elizabeth Arden (1878–1966) and Estée Lauder (1906–2004).
In the 1920s, the so-called "Belle Epoque", the Harriet Hubbard Ayer beauty salon was very well known in Paris and was frequented by celebrities from that time. Among them the renowned actress Sarah Bernhardt, whom Mrs. Harriet Hubbard Ayer still knew personally.
In 1930 the US subsidiary of the British company Lever Brothers bought Harriet Hubbard Ayer Inc. from New York. Charles Luckman (businessman and famous architect 1909-1999) carried out the transaction on behalf of Lever Brothers . In 1935 the headquarters of the Harriet Hubbard Ayer company were relocated to Paris under the management of the British-Dutch group Unilever .
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s an extraordinary number of groundbreaking cosmetic innovations were developed, both in the care, fragrance and decorative sectors. Ayer has also made history in advertising and is mentioned in "Born in 1842. A History of Advertising" by Publicis (2006). The international slogan was "The finest of beauty products for those who demand the best". The star make-up artist Olivier Echaudemaison (from 1968 with Harriet Hubbard Ayer Paris) used Ayer products to make up the crowned heads of the world on the occasion of their weddings, such as the British Princess Anne in 1973 , Gloria von Thurn und Taxis in 1980 and Lady Diana in 1981 .
Marketing of the Ayer brand in Germany began in 1952 by the perfume house Gottschalk. The exclusive distribution rights for Germany were transferred to the company Imperial Cosmetics Munich in 1966. In 1985 Unilever sold the Ayer brand to Imperial Cosmetics, which at the time was the brand's top-selling importer worldwide. In 1985, the owners of Imperial Kosmetik founded the company Harriet Hubbard Ayer GmbH. Since then, Imperial Cosmetics has been the manufacturer and sales company for the Ayer brand in Germany. The company Harriet Hubbard Ayer controls world sales from Munich. To this day, the brand represents top-class cosmetics for the highest demands and is characterized by continuity and tradition, coupled with constant product innovations based on the latest discoveries in cosmetology.
literature
- Harriet Hubbard: Harriet Hubbard Ayer's Book: A Complete and Authentic Treatise on the Laws of Health and Beauty - Reprint Edition by Arno Press and New York Times Books, New York: 1974, ISBN 0-405-06074-2
- WH Allen: Ayer, Margaret Hubbard and Isabella Taves: The Three Lives of Harriet Hubbard Ayer London: 1957.
- Ledbetter, Suzann: Shady Ladies, Nineteen Surprising and Rebellious American Women. Forge Book, New York: 2006. ISBN 0-7653-0827-4
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ayer, Harriet Hubbard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American cosmetics entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 27, 1849 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 23, 1903 |
| Place of death | new York |