- Adolphe Saalfeld Perfumer:
Adolphe Saalfeld was a remarkable figure in the world of perfumery with a story intertwined with one of history's most famous maritime disasters. Born around 1865 in Oranienbaum, Anholt, Germany to Jewish parents, Heinemann Salomon Saalfeld and Rosalie, he was part of a family that included three brothers, Max, Eric, and Richard, and a sister named Marianne.
Trained as a chemist, Saalfeld immigrated to Britain in the mid - 1880s and became a naturalized citizen in July 1896. He steadily built a successful career in the chemical and perfume trade. By 1901, he was established as a chemical merchant, and later, he took on the role of chairman at Chemists and Distillers Sparks - White & Co. Ltd. In this capacity, he played a crucial role in overseeing the marketing of his line of concentrated perfume fragrances and fine oils for distribution and sales.
In his personal life, on February 22, 1888, he married Gertrude Harris (née Lazarus), a native of Exeter, Devon, at the West London Synagogue. The couple remained childless throughout their marriage and lived at various addresses over the years, including 65 Sutherland Avenue in Paddington, London in 1888 - 1891, "Saville House" (now Ward Hall) on Lower Park Road in Manchester in 1901, and Victoria Park in South Manchester in 1911.
One of the most significant events in Saalfeld's life was his journey on the RMS Titanic. In 1912, at the age of 47, he boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a first - class passenger, occupying cabin C - 106. His ticket, number 19988, cost £30, 10s. He was traveling with samples of his perfume products, with the intention of opening a new outlet for floral fragrances in America, as the American perfume market was booming at that time. Before the ship's departure, he toured the vessel with his colleague Paul Joseph Danby. During the fateful night of April 14 - 15, 1912, when the Titanic collided with an iceberg, Saalfeld was in the smoking room. In his haste to escape, he left his precious perfume samples in his cabin. He managed to board a lifeboat and witnessed the tragic sinking of the Titanic from a distance.
Surviving the Titanic disaster, however, was not without its consequences. As a male survivor, he faced social ostracism. He also suffered from sleep disturbances, often asking his chauffeur to drive him around the empty midnight streets before he could fall asleep. Despite these personal hardships, he continued to lead his business until his death.
Adolphe Saalfeld passed away on June 5, 1926, at the age of 61 in Kew, Surrey. His estate, worth £46,902, 19s, 6d (equivalent to approximately £2 million today), was administered to his widow Gertrude, his nephew Frederick Hans Saville (a druggist), and optician Max Wiseman. He was buried in Golders Green Jewish Cemetery in Barnet, London. His widow, Gertrude, never remarried and died on April 27, 1929, at the age of 76 in Kensington, London.
What makes Saalfeld's story even more fascinating is the discovery of his perfume samples. Decades after the Titanic sank, during a recovery expedition to the wreck, a small leather pouch containing his perfume samples was found. Remarkably, even after spending years at the bottom of the ocean, the scents still retained their fragrance. This discovery not only serves as a testament to the quality of Saalfeld's work but also as a unique connection to that fateful voyage in 1912. His story has intrigued many, and his surviving perfume samples have inspired modern perfumers, with some creating fragrances inspired by the essences found in the recovered vials, such as the "Legacy 1912 - Titanic" fragrance, which features notes of delicate lemon, neroli, blushing rose, and warm sheer amber. Adolphe Saalfeld's name thus remains linked to the history of perfumery and the tragic legend of the Titanic.
