The intimacy of the small and historic Benson Portland hotel, suited our convention perfectly. The setting enhanced longer conversations with one another, including sharing information and photos on our favorite categories of antique and vintage perfume bottles and vanity items. The downtown location provided quick access to shops, restaurants and pastry shops.
Informal Collector’s Sessions encouraged questions and information from the audience. For A Cut Above, Colleen White started the conversation rolling with a sample of small, clear-cut Czechoslovakian bottles followed by a PowerPoint presentation.
The Portland Vase: How it ignited the making of cameo glass, brought forth new information regarding the figures and scene of the vase. Shari Maxson Hopper also described a variety of techniques which may have been used to create this ancient Roman, dark blue, 9.4” tall vase.
Andra Behrendt took a different approach, inviting the audience to ask questions and provide comments from the get-go for her Collector’s Session on Compacts: Histories, Identification and Exchange.
Having had several museum exhibits and television interviews on his extensive commercial collection of Portuguese perfume companies and other commercial brands, Afonso Oliveira encouraged members to showcase their collections locally. Afonso gave insights into his experiences with museums, what his involvement included and what help to expect from the museum staff in The Magic of Perfume Bottles in a Temporary Exhibition. The Ins and Outs of Putting on an Exhibition.
Elizabeth Creech introduced the four presenters of the Hollywood Symposium. The presentations covered a wide variety of topics yet had intertwining information of celebrities and royalty owned or sponsored items.
Jeffrey Sanfilippo: “Scents and Stardom Behind the Camera” at Perfume Passage
Andra Behrendt: Hollywood Themed Vanity Items
Rusty Hernandez-Sanfilippo: Lights. Camera. Perfume. The Scents of Cinema.
Barbara W. Miller: Celebs and Royalty Owned Perfume Bottles.
Among the many businesses for his own glass studios, Louis Comfort Tiffany began active management of his father’s jewelry store, Tiffany & Co., in 1902, thus creating yet another company under LCT’s control. In his presentation, Tiffany, Walter Jones explained the multiple companies and the strong personalities associated with each company. Walter interspersed his presentation with his amazing personal collection of Tiffany sterling silver and glass perfume bottles.
Don Orban’s Keynote presentation, “Star Struck! Hollywood’s Golden Age of Glitter, Glamour, Gowns and the Desire to Make it all Yours”, revealed fashions from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. Hollywood’s glamourous stars were impeccably dressed, and these fashions were copied by designers offering a more affordable price tag. Using gowns and dresses from his personal collection, Don showed the glamourous gowns next to the affordable gowns. In many cases, he had photos of the stars wearing similar items. Don enhanced the presentation with details on the beading, and the difficult construction of a gown which led to an intricate ballet of steps needed to actually wear the gown.
The Perfume Bottles & Vintage Vanity Items Showroom brought together passionate collectors, historians, and artists, creating an atmosphere of wonder and appreciation for these miniature works of art. Attendees took home pieces ranging from rare vintage designs to modern masterpieces, with each item capturing the essence of a bygone era or contemporary artistry.
Thanks to the following Showroom Vendors: Andra Behrendt, Shelley Bechtold, Cathy Dunn, Elaine Hyde, Vivienne King, Jeffrey and Rusty Sanfilippo, and Gustavo Santana.
Books, auction catalogs and Perfume Bottle Quarterlies were sold to benefit the IPBA at the IPBA Booth of Books, Etc. Books and auction catalogs are invaluable tools when learning about our favorite subjects. Everything from beginning collecting books to books dedicated to a perfume house, a collecting category, or specialized auction catalogs for Lalique and minis were available for purchase.
The Perfume Swap was a popular addition to the Showroom this year. Members were able to sniff a wide variety of perfumes, decant some perfumes into small vials, and walk away with free samples.
Members contributed handmade gifts to the Raffle, including a tote bag and notebook with an exclusively created perfume atomizer with the tube representing the Columbia River by Bre Murty. Madeleine Winklemann sent a dozen napkins with exquisitely embroidered perfume bottles and items.
The Perfume Bottle Design Competition celebrated its 9th year with an outstanding group of original designs. Out of the eighteen submitted items this year, eleven were selected as finalists. Attendees voted First Place to Wanja Sturhan, “The Spider”; Second Place to Elaine Hyde, “Crystal Perfume”; and Third Place to Gustavo Santano, “Honey Comb”.
The Collector’s Market offered an opportunity for members to sell items from their own collections to make way for new finds or to help downsize their treasures. This was also an opportunity to purchase great items at great prices.
The hosts of Treasures Found, Susan Aruthur, Jeffrey Sanfilippo and Afonso Oliveira, had 13 items submitted ahead of time for our Experts to research details on age, manufacturer, history and other pertinent information. Several items were also brought to the table prior to the start. The owners of the items and the audience treasured the wonderful information provided — information that is hard to find and crossed different disciplines.
Special thanks to the Experts: Marsha Crafts, Helen Farnsworth, Joyce Geeser, Shari Maxson Hopper, Judy Parker and Gayle Syers.
We are all looking forward to the 2026 IPBA Convention in Chicago!
