A tame bear outside a Soho shop, a warrant from the English royal court, bottles named after Mayfair addresses: Atkinsons, founded in London in 1799, is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world — and one of the most eccentric. A portrait of an English legend, plus a selection of its unisex fragrances made for the new season, all in stock at Olara.
11799: a bear on Gerrard Street
The story begins like a fairy tale: in 1799, young James Atkinson came down to London from his native Cumberland, in the north of England, carrying recipes for balms and scented waters — and, so the house legend goes, a tame bear that stood guard outside his shop at 44 Gerrard Street, Soho. His rose-scented bear's grease balm became the toast of Georgian high society. Consecration came in 1826, when James Atkinson was appointed perfumer to the English royal court. In 1832 the house moved to 24 Old Bond Street, Mayfair — an address so mythical it would later name the house's emblematic fragrance. After a long twentieth-century slumber, Atkinsons was reborn in 2013 as a niche house, with compositions designed beyond gender. The whole house is gathered in our Atkinsons collection, at the heart of our niche fragrance department.
2The icons: 24 Old Bond Street and 41 Burlington Arcade
To meet the house, start with its emblem: 24 Old Bond Street Triple Extract, a “three times over” concentrated eau de cologne — a tribute to the historic address, signed in 2014 by Christine Nagel, who has since become Hermès's in-house perfumer, and Violaine Collas. Its very British twist: a Turkish rose escorted by a note of oak-casked whisky, over a black tea base — five o'clock tea and a gentlemen's club in a single bottle. The other pillar, 41 Burlington Arcade, cultivates a darker, bittersweet charm built around liquorice — a nod to the famous covered arcade a stone's throw from Bond Street.
Did you know?
At Atkinsons, fragrance names read like a map of London: 44 Gerrard Street, the first shop of 1799 in Soho; 24 Old Bond Street, the mythical Mayfair address the house moved to in 1832; 41 Burlington Arcade, the covered shopping arcade next door. Wearing an Atkinsons is quite literally wearing a piece of the city.
3The royal ouds: kings, queens and majesties
When the English house looks East, it does so with its trademark poise and humour: its oud collection bears the titles of monarchs. Oud Save The King, the dandiest of them, slips Oriental exoticism into a Savile Row suit; His Majesty The Oud unfolds smoky, woody power; Her Majesty The Oud weds the English rose to precious wood; and Oud Save The Queen, launched in 2013, is its ambery floral rendition. Deep trails, perfect as September evenings begin to cool.
4The eccentrics — and which one to pick this season
English eccentricity is the house's other signature. Mint & Tonic turns the fresh mint and sparkling tonic accord of London bars into an eau de parfum of biting freshness — ideal for stretching summer into the office. Rose In Wonderland takes the rose against the grain: green, insolent, anything but demure. And if you love nocturnal tales, Mystic Moonlight, the rebirth of a 1919 myth, completes the picture. For the new season, our recommended routine: the cologne in the morning, the oud at night — and all of them play the genderless game, like the rest of our unisex fragrances.
Your questions, answered
Is Atkinsons really England's oldest perfume house?
Founded in London in 1799 by James Atkinson, it is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world still active — and one of England's elders. Appointed perfumer to the royal court in 1826 and dormant for part of the twentieth century, it was relaunched in 2013 as a niche house.
Are Atkinsons fragrances unisex?
Yes: since its 2013 rebirth, the house composes beyond gender. Colognes, ouds and eaux de parfum are worn equally by her and by him — the very spirit of niche perfumery.
What does 24 Old Bond Street Triple Extract smell like?
A very English woody cologne: juniper berries and cardamom in the opening, an unexpected heart of Turkish rose and oak-casked whisky, and a base of black tea, ambergris and cedar. It is the concentrated version of the house icon, signed by Christine Nagel and Violaine Collas.
Which Atkinsons should I choose to discover the house?
For a first encounter, 24 Old Bond Street Triple Extract tells the house's story best. If you are after an evening trail, head for the royal ouds (Oud Save The King, His or Her Majesty The Oud). For everyday originality, Mint & Tonic or Rose In Wonderland.
Why is there a bear on Atkinsons bottles?
It is the house's historic emblem: legend has it that James Atkinson arrived in London in 1799 with a tame bear, and his rose-scented bear's grease balm made his name. The bear still watches over the bottles.
