Historedia
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Avon Products is founded in the United States

When
1886–1916
Where
New York; New Jersey
Episodes
3

In September 1886, David H. McConnell decided to sell perfumes rather than books, the earliest sourced event of the business that became the California Perfume Company and later Avon Products. His business partner suggested the California Perfume Company name. McConnell and Henderson signed an incorporation agreement in New Jersey on June 16, 1909, and the company was incorporated in New York on January 28, 1916; the name changed to Avon Products, Inc. in 1939.

Episodes

  1. September 1886 · New YorkShift to Perfume Sales

    McConnell decided to sell perfumes rather than books in September 1886, marking the origin of the business.

  2. June 16, 1909 · New JerseyNew Jersey Incorporation

    McConnell and Henderson signed an incorporation agreement for the California Perfume Company in New Jersey.

  3. January 28, 1916 · New YorkNew York Incorporation

    The California Perfume Company was incorporated in the state of New York in January 1916.

Background and detail

Founding and Naming. In September 1886, McConnell decided to sell perfumes instead of books. A friend or business partner living in California suggested the name California Perfume Company, citing the abundance of flowers there. This name was adopted for the business that would eventually become Avon Products.

Incorporation. On May 3, 1909, the California Perfume Company corporate office moved to 31 Park Place, New York. On June 16, 1909, McConnell and Henderson signed an agreement of incorporation for the California Perfume Company in the state of New Jersey. On January 28, 1916, the California Perfume Company was incorporated in the state of New York.

People involved

  • David H. McConnell · Founder of the California Perfume Company (later Avon Products); described as its president
  • Henderson · Co-signatory of the 1909 incorporation agreement

Sources

  1. Avon Products Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-28
  2. David H. McConnell Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.