Document RJJGdB3nz5V4RRZaq0mgGM8Jk

Alfred Lief >0 ,i2t /-,/ev, Vorl 7 MENNEN HISTORY JACOB MANHEIMER. 2lU E 21 S i NYG Interview 1/21/53 T J.M. is in his 89th yr- born 1864- gldest/Living supplier. of The Mennen company v He joined Warrick Er.eres (est. i860) in l8?o and took over in 1898. His boss -jv-/ supplied the perfume used in Gerhard Mennen's powder. Yihen Gerhard Mennen planned to go into the powder business he called on J.M. in New York (premises on Pearl Street/, N.Y.) for perfume. G.M. had clerked in Fehr Pharmacy, Hoboken; the clerk traditionally slept in the store, did night d u t y green and red lights burned in window all night. This druggist put out a soapstone powder in a caper box, for use on babies. G.H. called on Manheimer one Saturday afternoon, bringing a package of Fehr's powder. Later Manheimer visited G.M. in'store on Central Ave & Broad St., Newark (and home, in high- stooped house on High St. j > -In rear of s t e r n s a room with a sifter; perfume was applied by an atomizer; J x helped out by turning thehandle of the sifter. Each round pasteboard box (holes in top) was weighed (2 or 3 os.); a spin-wheel top covered the holes. Talc was put through the mill with boric acid and then through a fine-mesned sifter machine, being sprayJ ec ud meanwhile~. Boxes we-- re- -f-i--l--l-ed bvy hand with a scoop. =32= t -'* Basement was used for storage.-- J.M. went over to Newark once a week, carrying 2$-i>0 lb, perfume oils. (188U: entire U.S. consumpn of cosmetics 60 miln; today, more than il billion.) ( (0% ' . Mennen in Orange St.- a c o n v j y t e d j a i L A a ^ ^ ^ with lane toy drive in and out. Lackawanna R.R station was on Broad .St., 3 clocks fro m ""O ra n ge '^ '"JTlvrrv?buId talce/Ga ferry to Hoboken or Penna ferry to Jersey City, thence by steam r.r. to Newark.-- J.lii. also, helped make corn mixture. Mennen used signboards on roads to advertise his powder. Clark, of Whittaker, Clark ft Daniels, sought out G.M. as_a user of talcum; this firm one of the early importers of Italian talc. Manheimer would meet _ in Mermen's store, also George Miller of American Can Co. manheimer imported V ,- basic raw materials used for the"~perfuming o f c o s m e t i c s . Prodmrtl0n essential oils remains unchanged; native method of distillation. -- dse of talcum powder increased as a matter of education. Uflhipq used to be diaoered with thick canvas sheets that cut the skin; talcum ^ eased the chafing. You had to be careful to use a perfume that wouldn t irritate skin. Tn Orange St. days Mainen had 10-12 employees. Distribution was through wholesale druggists. G.M. M S well-liked, absolutely honest, charitable; invested in " rtgages but wasn't worth a million as the papers said when he died. -- G.M. told him, I I sell a gross of talc for $18 and I make 58, I spend $U for advertising. i hl t t v r n \ aiwavs keep ahead." Advtg expendre attuned to earnings. - About 1900 G M f e n off a bicycle on Orange St. one day, skinned himself, sat down on l whipped out A a copy of 8 * ^evepost from h - Pocket, sayl[1g what do you think those rascals want for that page?" pointing t o back cover, "51500'," /Inaccurate: Post c o v e r ^ o s ^ g C C ^ j ^ - ? 02/ PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT C P -M E N N E N -0 00 0 07 4 8 WCD-350