Richard Hudnut

Richard Hudnut
Born	(1855-06-02)June 2, 1855
Died	October 30, 1928(1928-10-30) (aged 73) Juan-les-Pins, France
Occupation(s)	Cosmetologist, perfumer, pharmacist
Known for	Cosmetics and perfumes
Spouses	Evelyn Isabell Beals Winifred Kimball

Richard Alexander Hudnut (June 2, 1855 – October 30, 1928)

Hudnut began by transforming the family drugstore into an elegant showroom.^[2] The makeover was such that the shop now became a tourist attraction, and Hudnut's business flourished. In time, Hudnut's products became so widely known that he closed the retail store and focused on marketing his product lines through wholesale distributors.^[4][5]

One of the keys to Hudnut's success was that he sold his less expensive fragrances "on approval". After the consumer paid with postage stamps or a money order, Hudnut shipped the perfume. If the customer wasn't satisfied, Hudnut refunded the money.

Having made his fortune, Hudnut sold the business in 1916 and retired to France.

The Richard Hudnut Corporation was acquired in 1916 by William R. Warner & Company, which became Warner-Hudnut in 1950,

Early Richard Hudnut fragrances included Queen Anne Cologne (1880), Violet Sec (1896), Aimée (1902), DuBarry (1903), Vanity (1910), and Three Flowers (1915).[7]

Product lines include Du Barry, Three Flowers, Gemey, Marvelous and a highly successful line of hair care products.^[8] Hudnut's beauty products were sold in department stores, an indication of their appeal to a more affluent and sophisticated clientele.^{[citation needed]} The firm also introduced the Du Barry Success Course which ran from 1940 until the early 1950s^[9] which Mary Brooks Picken helped design.

To maintain his image, Hudnut required dealers to sign a contract stating that not only would they not discount his products, but also not bundle his products with gifts of any kind (so as to, in effect, lower their purchase price.) Although this policy was outlawed in certain states (e.g., Texas), in states where it was enforceable, the company enforced it to the extent of the law.

In 1894, Richard Hudnut filed suit against the department store Carroll, Beadle & Mudge of Rochester, New York for allegedly selling imitation Hudnut perfume as the real thing.^[14]

In 1901, the U.S. Customs Service sent an officer to his house to inquire about certain imports that Hudnut was receiving at a particularly low cost, as no duty was being paid. The officer was told that Hudnut was not at home.^[15]

In 1901, patent solicitor Oscar Michel was arrested on $5,000 bail for passing a bogus check to Richard Hudnut. Hudnut had had the solicitor file a patent application for him but when he didn't receive it from the patent office, he demanded his money back from Michel. The check was returned "N.G." (non-negotiable).^[16]

In 1902, Richard Hudnut was exonerated on smuggling charges alleged to have been conducted by a steamship steward. The steward was arrested for smuggling violet essence and musk into the United States, some of which was traced to Hudnut's pharmacy. On further investigation, the collector entirely cleared Hudnut of any wrongdoing.^[17]

In March 1903, Richard Hudnut bought a suite of

In 1905, upon returning from vacation at his Adirondacks camp, Hudnut discovered that his New York apartment had been burglarized; even his grand piano was gone.[19]

In 1909, Hudnut applied for a tax refund on alcohol which had been used in cosmetics which were to be exported. The Collector of Customs granted the request, but demanded precise accounting of the quantities used in manufacturing, including any waste.^[20]

In 1915, Swift & Company sued Richard Hudnut for trademark infringement. Swift had registered the trademark "Vanity Fair" and challenged Hudnut's right to use the name "Vanity". The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, in spite of the fact that Hudnut had registered his trademark earlier than Swift. The grounds were that Hudnut had used the name "Vanity" only once, and that use had not been public; it had been used on an invoice only.^[21]

In 1920, in another trade-mark dispute over the name "Nara" which Hudnut had registered and which was disputed by plaintiff Phillips who had registered the trade-mark "Nyra", Hudnut prevailed on appeal on the same legal principle that had found against him in Swift v. Hudnut.^{[22][Note 1]}

In 1922, after he had retired from business, Hudnut's stepdaughter, Natacha Rambova, married Rudolph Valentino,^[23] who had not completed his divorce from his first wife.^[24]

Other interests

Richard Hudnut was also the president of the Hudnut Realty Co.^[25]

Marriages

Richard Hudnut was married twice. His first wife Evelyn Isabell Beals (d. 1919),^[26] whom he married on May 14, 1881, was the daughter of granite dealer Horace Beals,^[3] and Jane A. Dwyer, better known as the Duchess of Catelluccia.^[27]

His second wife, Winifred Kimball Hudnut (1871 – 1957), was the mother of Natacha Rambova (née Winifred Shaugnessy).^[1] Hudnut was her fourth husband.^[28]

Community service

Hudnut was a member of several professional organizations including the

Richard Hudnut died in 1928,

Notes

References