What is an 'Eau de Cologne'? Quite literally it is 'Water of Cologne'. But why write it in French and not German? To make things more confusing, the first Eau de Cologne was created by an Italian, Johann Maria Farina. Farina was a pioneering perfumier who opened what is now the world's oldest perfume factory in Cologne in 1709. "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning,
of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain," he wrote to his brother. He gave it a French name to make it sound chic.
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| Pre-WW2 advert for '4711' |
'4711' is hands down the world's most famous Eau de Cologne. The name derives from the location of the original factory on Glockengasse, No. 4711, where the brand's rather splendid
flagship store is located. The perfume was created by Wilhelm Mülhens back in the 1790's and is still produced using the original formula. JFK wore it. Holly Golightly wears it in Truman Capote's
Breakfast at Tiffanys. Bizarrely, Pete Townshend used to snort it. It's also commonly used in Haitian Voodoo.
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| A bottle of '4711' dating from 1885 |
Like most Eau de Colognes, 4711 is a light, unisex fragrance. It has a refreshing citrus kick to it with a hint of cedar wood. On your skin it's very subtle which is the reason, I think, for its great success. It's also cheap.
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| '4711' today |
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