Valmor Products was a Chicago-based cosmetics and personal care company founded in 1926, targeted at African American consumers. The company was known for its distinctive artwork used in its advertisements.[1]

History

Valmor was founded in 1926 as Valmor Products Co. by husband and wife team Rose and Morton Neumann.[2] Morton Neumann (1898–1985) was a Jewish Hungarian-American chemist from Chicago.[3] He created Valmor when he realized that there was an untapped market for African American-focused cosmetics. Valmor products had several sub-brands including Lucky Brown, Madam Jones, King Novelty, and Famous Products Co.[4] The company was based on the South Side of Chicago throughout its history, selling perfumes, hair pomades, incense, and other beauty products.[1] The Mortons ran Valmor until the company closed in 1984.[5][6]

Design and imagery

Valmor was known for its stylized packaging and advertisements featuring illustrations and photographs of African-American models. Notable artists who illustrated for early Valmor product labels and ads were Charles C. Dawson and Jay Jackson.[2] The Chicago Cultural Center created a retrospective of Jackson and Dawson's work for Valmor in 2015, entitled "Love For Sale: The Graphic Art of Valmor Products." [7]

Valmor advertising images of wig styles for sale were used in the album cover for the Rolling Stones' album Some Girls,[3][2] and in artist Ellen Gallagher's "DeLuxe" series.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Love for Sale: The Graphic Art of Valmor Products". www.chicago.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  2. 1 2 3 Nittle, Nadra (2018-01-23). "Before Fenty: Over 100 Years of Black Makeup Brands". Racked. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  3. 1 2 Leviton, Mark (2022-06-09). "The Rolling Stones' 'Some Girls': The Grooves of Now". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  4. ↑ Chicago Public Library, "Valmor Products Label Collection"
  5. ↑ DNAInfo
  6. ↑ Made in Chicago Museum "Valmor Products Co."
  7. ↑ "Love for Sale" Design Observer
  8. ↑ "Ellen Gallagher DeLuxe".


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