Lightyears Collection
Dodge & Olcott

Dodge & Olcott came into being in 1862 when John Covill retired from the partnership of Dodge, Colvill & Olcott.

George M. Olcott, born August 23, 1835, finished his studies with Columbia College Grammar School in 1851 and joined wholesale druggists, Osgood & Jennings, as a clerk. Three years later he left Osgood & Jennings and was hired by Dodge & Covill, importers of cosmetics, essential oils, chemicals and drugs. In 1857 Olcott was taken into the partnership and the firm's name was modified to reflect his new role.

George M. Olcott became very much a man of affairs. In addition to his relationship with Dodge & Olcott, he was associated with a number of businesses including the Phenix Chemical Works, Lloyds Plate Glass Insurance Company, First National Bank of Ridgefield, Connecticut (while Olcott owned "Casagmo", an estate in Ridgefield, his primary home was in Brooklyn, New York), Market & Fulton National Bank of New York, Federal Insurance Company, Franklin Trust Company, Franklin Safe Deposit Company, and the Bowery Savings Bank. In short, he was highly involved in business affairs.

In 1952, Fritzsche (also spelled "Fritzche") Brothers, under the direction of Frederick Henry Leonhardt ("Fritz"), purchased Dodge & Olcott. In 1963 the combined company was renamed Fritzche, Dodge & Olcott. In 1980, Fritzche, Dodge & Olcott was acquired by chemical giant, BASF, which held it for ten years before passing it on to Flavor and Fragrance giant, Givaudan, in 1990.

While the primary business of Dodge & Olcott was to supply raw materials to the drug and cosmetics business, their name also appeared on this package of Sunburst perfume. We don't know whether this was intended for retail sale or whether, perhaps, it was done as a gift intended for Dodge & Olcott's accounts.