Once upon a time an intrepid young British gentleman and a bear left the wild climes of Northern England in search of fame and fortune among the glittering cosmopolitan streets of London. That gentleman went by the name of James Atkinson and the year was 1799.
In his suit pocket were recipes for fine scents and toiletries of his own devising. Next to him sat a sizeable quantity of rose-scented balm. Next to the balm sat a growly bear.
Within mere days the fantastic balm became indispensable to London’s most uppity crust, who braved the bear at the door of 44 Gerrard Street to procure sufficient stock for the Social Season.
In the early ‘800, James Atkinson hit upon his most startling creation to date, a fearlessly English Eau de Cologne totally different from the Italianate colognes then in vogue.
Curiously fresh yet warm and spicy, the new Eau de Cologne was stronger and more prepossessing than its continental cousins, with a lingering trail that conjured forth the confident attributes of the British Empire.
King George IV caught a whiff of it at Buckingham and in 1826 he proclaimed James Atkinson the Official Perfumer to the Royal Court of England on the spot.
With the granting of the royal seal of approval, there was no stopping our James and in 1832 business was thriving to the point that he upped sticks from Soho and moved lock, stock and fragrant barrel to the illustrious Mayfair district.
The luxury shopping hub of the great capital city was, most conveniently for his regal clientele, just a stone’s throw away from a certain Buckingham Palace
His scents wafted tantalizingly out of 24Old Bond Street for over a century and even today the most observant of observant passers-by, will spot a plaque testifying that there once stood a mighty establishment that went by the name of Atkinsons.
His fame spread abroad and before long his clientele featured names as august and regal as Queen Victoria, Prince Tomasi di Lampedusa, the Tsarina of Russia, Queen Margherita of Savoia, Lady Hamilton and that dandiest of all dandies, Beau Brummel.
Atkinsons is today quintessential London, formed by London, made of London. It’s the essence of its eclectic, inspiring, ever-changing spirit.
Like the city itself, Atkinsons scents are a unique and evocative combination of captivating ingredients that stimulate the senses.
Atkinsons scents are the modern reinterpretation of James Atkinson passion for authentic, timeless excellence and offers fragrances of the highest quality.
