Societe Anonyme Des Parfums D'Arys - Parisian Perfume Company - 1918 dated French Unissued Stock Certificate

Unissued Stock. All coupons remain. Rare Topic! Lucien Désiré Prosper Graux known as Lucien Graux (1878-1944) was a French doctor, entrepreneur, art collector, bibliophile, writer, publisher and resistance fighter. He launched the Arys Perfume House (1916-1950).

Lucien Désiré Prosper Graux was born on 4 April 1878 in Paris, son of the doctor Gaston Graux (1848-1925), president of the water company of Contrexéville and an art collector. As a medical student he joined the Freemasons on 12 April 1899, and in 1905, he defended his thesis, entitled Application of cryoscopy to the study of mineral waters.

Graux specialized in public hygiene, urology, and pharmacology applied to care. He served as editor of La Gazette Médicale de Paris (1906-1914). In December 1907, he filed a patent for a drug combating uric acid, called Urodonal, which he promoted through the Etablissements Chatelain (Paris), distributor of pharmaceutical products such as Globéol and Jubol.

In 1915, Graux joined the army, serving in World War I as a medical assistant to the infantry regiment commanded by General de Maud'huy. In 1916, he founded the “Société anonyme des parfums d'Arys” in Paris, and had it listed on the stock market in 1918. For twenty years, it experienced international growth and employed around a hundred people in Courbevoie. It participated in the French perfume pavilion during the 1925 International Exhibition and opened a prestigious boutique at 3 rue de la Paix. During the years 1920 to 1930, Lucien Graux was in charge of diplomatic missions and was adviser to various ministries including that of Foreign Trade. He was named Knight of the Legion of Honor. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_Graux