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After a three month hiatus, the Brownsdale Study Club met on a blustery and rainy April 16.

President Shelly Vogel hosted the gathering and opened with the reading of the Collect. Five members answered the roll call, “Tickets/In trouble with the law.” The secretary and treasurer’s reports were approved.

Under old business, Mary Kidwiler Moritz contacted the Mower County Historical Society for archived information on the Study Club. It was confirmed that they do have artifacts from Brownsdale, but Mary needs to coordinate a meeting time.

The Austin Daily Herald article featuring the Study Group was shared with the assemblage.

Under new business, ideas for celebrating our 100th anniversary were contemplated.

Therese Manggaard announced that the Mower County Horticulture Society is having their annual plant sale Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to noon at the Horticulture building at the Mower County Fairgrounds in Austin. Barb Swanson announced that Brownsdale town-wide garage sales will be May 3-4 and the Brownsdale Fireman’s Breakfast will be May 5.

Mary made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Barb.

Mary shared some headlines from early 1924. The first Olympic Winter Games opened in Chamonix, France.

Ramsey MacDonald becomes the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom elected from the Labour Party.

The Computing Tabulating-Recording Company changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

Castle Gate Mine disaster in Castle Gate Utah kill 172.

The first round the world flight begins.

The most popular song for 1924 was “California Here I Come.”

Therese presented the main topic, Perfume Bottles. The oldest perfume bottles date back four or even five thousand years. They did not contain liquids, but rather oils or pastes, which were so well formulated that even today, they have astonished archaeologists with their intense fragrance. Moving on to the 17th century, fashionable women had perfume holders of every shape and size. They were worn around the neck, fastened to the belt, hidden under skirts or attached to a ring by a delicate chain. In those days people washed very little and used perfumes to camouflage their unsavory body odors. On Oct. 15, 1924, Dean Richmond Babbitt II started Babbitt, Inc. Perfumers of Philadelphia PA. The company’s headline fragrance was “Fleur de Nuit” that sold for $1. Soon sales were insufficient to cover costs and so on Oct. 26, 1926, the Babbitt Perfume Manufacturers declared bankruptcy. Therese shared some of her perfume bottle collection that included the 100 year old  Fleur de Nuit,”  ‘Joy’ by Patou which was launched in 1935 as the most expensive perfume in the world, ‘White Rose’ form 1860 and ‘Evening in Paris’ from 1928.

Shelly served a delicious blueberry fool.

Submitted by Therese Manggaard, secretary