The complete vintage compact collection to date

Sher gave me the brilliant idea of detailing a full post on my blog regarding my complete compact collection - I say complete and later remembered i'd forgotten to photograph and mention two more compacts - one being a plastic purple flowered compact and another the powder I use everyday - a Per Una simple compact. A year and a half ago I started collecting compacts after finding one ... then four more random old compacts when we were clearing out my grans house. I took them to clean them up merely because I thought they were too nice to through away, this was their first every picture and mention on my blog;

The five inherited compacts originally blogged about on 21st September 2009

These were the ones that started it all off, and despite the two i've missed on this occasion (the purple one can be seen in the image above) this is a collection which varies in countries of origin, size, shape and cost. To make it easier to photograph and therefore for you to view, I've divided my collection into five "themes" with each compact briefly described underneath.

Stratton compacts 

During the 1950s up to 50% of all the compacts in the United Kingdom were made by Stratton, the market was dominated by them and to a point - still is. I don't have too many Stratton's I will be honest - I prefer lesser known brands. 

Back row 1952/3 Pantoon style compact with micraclean mirror cleaner (present from the parents), front row L-R first compact I found/owned gold toned flower engraved compact (inherited from my gran), white enamelled rose and butterfly two mirrored compact (from Joe), blue large compact possibly originally sold as a set with matching lipstick (ebay)

Vintage American powder compacts

All these compacts have been gorgeous gifts from my boy all sourced in America in random vintage shops in suburban Detroit or Ebay; I love American powder compacts - they seem a lot more daring, colourful with much more shape and content variety then their English cousins. 

Back row - Elgin 1940s chameleon two toned compact, unmarked Pennsylvania state map rectangular compact, middle row - the French Pegi of Paris plain square unused compact, Columbia of 5th Avenue powder and blusher compact, unused Marhill mother of pearl topped butterfly compact, first row - 1940s  American Beauty car boot shaped Greek key edged compact, small Elgina powder and rogue compact possibly from the 1930s when compacts went tiny and often were combinations of rouge, lipstick and or powder.

Branded English compacts 

Gathered from a various source of places and eras, showing the best of British between the 1940s to the late 1950s when compacts were at their height; showcasing British craftsmanship and engineering.

Unmarked British compacts

A lot of the compacts you might come across (away from Ebay) most probably will be unbranded, only marked by a "made in" and or patent number. Sometimes these were merely sold as cheaper alternatives, made by lesser known companies wanting in on the hay day or as souvenirs. 

Miscellaneous compacts - old and new

Just what I call my random compacts - brands that are unknown or compacts that are the contemporary version.  

So there you have it, a year and a half and 24 compacts down, here's hoping for a total of 48 in another 18 months. You can find more individual compact information, a more detailed reasoning why I started collecting them and some hopefully useful hints and tips on my compacts blogger page here.

See what hunting in chairty shops can reveal - a musical compact!

At first glance I just assumed it was a little plastic jar, a container of some kind. It was only my nosey interest in lifting the lid after reading the "musical" wording upon the price sticker that my interest was increased even further - for inside revealed a little [slightly dirty I may add] powder puff, a [again dirty, finger print covered] mirror which is held under the lid and the slight, tired and slow tune being played and trying to make out the sticker upon the mirror was to name it a Lady Mate.

It was a pretty powder compact just not in perfect condition - all but one of the "jewels" are missing from the handle upon the top and there is a mark upon the side of the jar. But I couldn't let this chance of owning a musical compact escape that easily - anyway I collect them for their history and their beauty not their monetary value. I just had to buy it, it was a steal at only £1.50.
Six cotton buds, a duster, some water, mirror polish and a good clean later reveals a sparkling little compact. When I say little I don't mean literally, it wouldn't fit in your handbag and is designed merely to sit upon your dresser. From searching and surfing around on Ebay musical compacts come to fetch a decent amount and in turn they are pretty rare, especially if they still are in fully working order.
Lifting off the lid reveals the mirror with it's Lady Mate sticker still intact, its branded original powder [unused I might add] puff and the plastic stiffer. Oh and the picture even allows you a great glance at everything upon my dresser!

In a manner, the song this musical compact plays actually comes to date this compact more then the brand name - for there is literally nothing on the net with regards to Lady Mate - only a link to current ones being sold upon Ebay.

For this musical compact as a bit of a coincidence with the entertainment news of the past week and the death of Erich Segal the author of the novel with later became the film Love Story, for which the song played once the lid has been opened is the theme tune by Francis Lei. It therefore lets us date the compact to 1970 at the earliest which in a way is after the decline of the powder compact was actually in full swing.

In a manner I find the song rather sad, it sounds a little mournful to me considering the title is based around love. I can just picture a lady sat powdering her face, her compact playing it's musical tune while she gazes endlessly into the photographed eyes of her long lost lover.

Anyways have a lovely weekend, I hope you all have lovely, grand plans - I intend to just be lazy and probably end up tidying something else up - and if there is anyone at all out there that knows anything about Lady Mate compacts then just let me know!