Founded in 1815 by François Demarson, Parfumerie L. Plassard traced its roots to one of the oldest and most respected perfume and toilet-soap manufacturers in Paris. The original business was established at 17 rue de Quatre-Septembre, although by 1821 the house was operating from 95 rue de la Verrerie. During the nineteenth century the company appeared under several names, including Demarson, Demarson et Cie, Henry-Demarson, Demarson-Chételat, and later Chetelat-Hubault (Maison Demarson). In 1894 the firm was acquired by Louis Plassard, who renamed it Plassard, successors Demarson-Chételat, preserving the prestige and reputation accumulated over nearly eighty years of operation.
From its earliest years, the Demarson house earned distinction for both perfumery and soap manufacture. Contemporary accounts describe François Demarson as an innovator whose products set standards for the French perfume trade. A description published in the Bazar Parisien in 1821 praised the firm's patented rose and "mille fleurs" soaps, alongside an extensive range of perfumed toiletries including scented powders, vinegars, extracts, pomades, ointments, sachets, eaux de Cologne, and cosmetic preparations. The publication concluded that the quality of Demarson's products "deserves the trust of the public," reflecting the esteem already attached to the house only six years after its founding.
The company became a regular participant in French industrial exhibitions, building an extraordinary record of recognition over the course of the nineteenth century. Demarson exhibited in 1817, 1819, 1823, 1839, 1844, 1849, 1855, 1867, 1872, 1878, and 1889, earning numerous distinctions including gold, silver, and bronze medals. The house received gold medals at the exhibitions of 1819, 1839, 1844, 1849, and 1872, silver in 1855, and bronze in both 1823 and 1867. These awards consistently placed the company among the leading perfume and soap manufacturers of France.
In 1834 François Demarson was succeeded by Bourbonne, while the firm continued expanding its reputation. Around the same period, Chételat was active at 93 rue Richelieu in Paris. By the mid-nineteenth century, the Demarson enterprise underwent a significant transformation. An 1844 report on the Exhibition of French Industry noted that the original Demarson establishment had split into two concerns. One remained at rue de la Verrerie, specializing in household and perfumed soaps, while the other operated under the name Demarson et Cie on rue Saint-Martin, producing an extensive range of high-quality soaps admired for their craftsmanship and appearance.
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| image colorized & enhanced by Grace Hummel/Cleopatra's Boudoir. |
By 1855 the house was known as Henry & Demarson and was recognized as one of the great names in French perfumery. The firm's retail premises were decorated by architect Frantz Huguelin, reflecting the growing importance of luxury presentation in the perfume trade. The jury of the 1855 Exposition Universelle awarded Demarson-Chételat et Cie a second-class medal, accompanied by remarkable praise. Jurors noted that the house had been successfully represented at every major exhibition since its founding and singled out its toilet soaps as industry leaders. The report emphasized the firm's use of fine oils and superior ingredients rather than harsh alkalis, resulting in products celebrated for their gentleness, fragrance, and cosmetic benefits.
The same 1855 account credited the house with several noteworthy innovations. François Demarson was identified as the creator of the celebrated "crème d'amandes" or soap cream, introduced in 1819 and widely imitated by competitors. He was also credited with developing Hungarian pomade, a fashionable grooming preparation used by military officers and prominent members of society. The report further recognized Demarson as a pioneer in the cultivation and distillation of geranium rosat, helping establish the commercial production of one of perfumery's most valuable aromatic materials. Such achievements demonstrate that the house was not merely a manufacturer but also a contributor to the scientific and agricultural development of French perfumery.
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| image colorized & enhanced by Grace Hummel/Cleopatra's Boudoir. |
During the 1850s and 1860s the company consolidated under the name Demarson-Chételat. By 1867 it was associated with the title Chetelat-Hubault (Maison Demarson) and operated from 71 rue Saint-Martin, Paris. The firm continued producing perfumes, toilet soaps, and grooming preparations, becoming particularly noted for its Philocombe hair pomade. Even as ownership and corporate structure evolved, the Demarson name retained considerable prestige both in France and abroad.
A major turning point occurred in 1894 when Louis Plassard acquired the business. Thereafter the company traded as Plassard, successors Demarson-Chételat, deliberately emphasizing continuity with its distinguished predecessor. Under Plassard's leadership the house continued exhibiting internationally, receiving a medal at the Amsterdam Exhibition in 1895 and a gold medal from the Brussels Jury in 1897. A 1902 report observed that although the company remained rooted in soap manufacture, it had expanded its perfume offerings to include fragrances such as Le Lotus, Le Lilas Blanc, Les Violettes de Parme, Le Bouquet d'Iris, Novella, L'Eglantine, and Eau de Vie de Lavande Extra Vieille. The house also marketed toiletries including Moustier soap and Oxilol toothpaste, an antiseptic preparation based on hydrogen peroxide.
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| image colorized & enhanced by Grace Hummel/Cleopatra's Boudoir. |
French section of the Franco-British Exhibition in London 1908. Photograph from the house Bulletin Roure Bertrand sound. Grasse: impr. E. Imbert, 1908.
Evidence from 1905 shows that the transition from Demarson-Chételat to Plassard was still visible in the company's branding. Contemporary descriptions mention bottles embossed with both "L. Plassard Paris" and "Demarson-Chételat Paris," while cartons carried the designation "L. Plassard (Ancienne Maison Demarson-Chételat)." This dual identity allowed Plassard to capitalize on the reputation of a house whose history stretched back to the Napoleonic era. By approximately 1910, references to Demarson-Chételat largely disappeared, and the firm was known simply as L. Plassard.
Before 1930, Parfumerie L. Plassard was regarded as a quality house whose finest perfumes were often presented in elegant Baccarat crystal flacons. Their elaborate exhibition displays, luxury packaging, and carefully crafted fragrances reflected the traditions established by Demarson nearly a century earlier. While later products are generally considered less distinguished, the firm's nineteenth- and early twentieth-century output represents an important chapter in the history of French perfumery, bridging the artisanal traditions of the Restoration period with the increasingly sophisticated luxury perfume industry of the Belle Époque.
The perfumes of Plassard:
- 1900 Ardent
- 1900 Memoires de Paris
- 1900 Kicdolis
- 1900 Amour Ardent
- 1900 Œillet Nain
- 1901 Muguet d'Yvelines
- 1905 My Love
- 1905 Violette de Fevrier
- 1905 Bruyere des Cevennes
- 1908 Suzelia (soap)
- 1908 Les Roses de l'Hay
- 1910 Violette Blanche
- 1910 Jasmin (from Rain of Flowers Online)
- 1910 Cœur Volant
- 1910 Fleurs Joyeuses
- 1910 Rêve de Valse
- 1911 Une Femme Passa
- 1911 Enomis
- 1911 Les Elfes
- 1912 Chypre
- 1925 Djola
- 1927 De Fleur en Fleur
- 1928 Dyne
- 1939 A Travers Bois
- 1940 Oeillet Noir
- 1945 Ambre
- 1945 Bouquet de Paris
- 1945 Matsi
- 1945 Bagatelle
- 1945 Avrilleé
- 1945 Conclusion
- 1945 Cuir
- 1945 Muguet
- 1945 Tabac
- 1945 Reverie
"PL Plassard, we specializing cologne, est worthy of mention as being white about to celebrate centenary ict."
Timeline:
- 1815- founded by Francois Demarson at 17 rue de Quatre-Septembre, Paris
- 1817 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won the recall
- 1819 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won gold medal
- 1821 - located at 95 rue de la Verrerie, Paris.
- 1823 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won bronze medal
- 1834 - Bourbonne succeeded Francois Demarson
- 1839 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won gold medal
- 1844 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won gold medal, also company split in two: Demarson; Demarson et Cie
- 1849 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won gold medal
- 1855 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won silver medal, known as Henry-Demarson
- 1856 - Demarson-Chetelet merged
- 1867 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, also merged into known as "Chetelet-Hubault (maison Demarson-Chetelet)", won bronze medal
- 1872 - participated in Exhibition Universelle, won gold medal
- 1878 - participated in Exhibition Universelle
- 1889 - participated in Exhibition Universelle
- 1894 - taken over by L. Plassard, company renamed Plassard, successors Demarson-Chetelet
- 1895 - participated at Amsterdam Exhibition , won medal
- 1897 - gold medal at the Jury Brussels
- 1910 - company seems to have dropped the Demarson-Chetelet subtitle
image enhanced & colorized by Grace Hummel/Cleopatra's Boudoir.
The perfumes of Demarson-Chetelet:
- 1878 Extrait de Opoponax
- 1878 Extrait d'Ylang Ylang
- 1878 Extrait d'Violette
- 1878 Extrait d'Jasmin
- 1878 Extrait d'Vanille
- 1878 Extrait d'Portugal
- 1878 Extrait d'Heliotrope
- 1878 Extrait de Geranium Rosat
- 1878 Extrait de Benjoin
- 1878 Extrait d'Musc
- 1878 Extrait de Patchouli
- 1878 Extrait d'Mousseline
- 1878 Extrait du Jockey Club
- 1878 Extrait des Mille Fleurs
- 1878 Extrait de Bouquet de la Imperatrice
- 1878 Extrait de Foin Coupé
- 1878 Extrait de Cuir de Russie
- 1878 Extrait de Bouquet de Chantilly
- 1878 Extrait d'Verveine
- 1878 Extrait d'Ambre
- 1878 Extrait d'Marechale
- 1878 Extrait d'Miel d'Angleterre
- 1878 Extrait d'Magnolia
- 1878 Extrait d'Reseda
- 1878 Extrait d'Rose
- 1878 Essence de Violettes d'Italie
- 1878 Eau de la Duchesse
- 1878 Eau de Portugal