John Blocki. Image courtesy Chicago Veteran Druggists' Association records, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, Special Collections and Archives.

Profile: Blocki represents three generations of American perfumers. The Blocki family immigrated to America in 1850 when John Blocki was only 5 years old. They left a hard-earned but privileged life in Prussian Pomerania to become part of the great American experiment. They were not idle in Europe or in America. John started his own business in 1865 at the age of twenty, already trained as a chemist and specializing in high quality chemicals, perfumes, and essential oils.

Sketch of Frederick Blocki in Chicagoans As We See 'Em Cartoons and Caricatures by the Newspaper Cartoonists' Association 1904

His son Frederick familiarized himself with all aspects of fine perfumery and was soon actively managing the business. The success of the perfumery allowed Frederick to also engage in public affairs where he supervised some of Chicago’s greatest public improvements during the city’s formative years.

Blocki illustration on cover of American Perfumer, Dec. 1910

Growing up I heard these and many other stories of the Blocki family involving entrepreneurship, innovation, adventure, art, writing, conservation and civic service. Their diverse experiences and full lives made me feel anything was possible. I remember a 1905 political poster of Frederick Blocki hanging in my childhood house. Today that same poster, along with a 1910 cover of the American Perfumer featuring Blocki perfumes, hangs in our house. I also remember leafing through a tattered veteran druggist association book that talks of the successful perfumery of John Blocki. This history was always in the back of my mind and I’ve never been shy about my interest in fragrance.

After graduating with a degree in engineering, I left for Europe to live with an uncle in Berlin, study language and visit the places of my ancestry. I returned to the US for graduate school where I met my wife Tammy. Soon after we were married we began importing and blending Bulgarian essential oils and floral waters and really fell in love with the Damask rose. It was a time of privatization in the Bulgarian fragrance industry and we were fortunate to have direct access to the rose and lavender fields and distillery. This experience planted the seed of reviving the Blocki perfumery and set an expectation for using the best natural ingredients.

In 2013 we met award winning American perfumer Kevin Verspoor who shares our passion for fine fragrance and the history of American perfumery. We are hands-on with every aspect of Blocki perfumes and work with a very talented (and patient) team. We are inspired by the vintage Blocki creations but do not want to be limited by them, so there is a lot of creative freedom to layer in elements from the past and add something new.

Wedding Painting of Tyler &Tammy Kraemer 1996

On American Perfumery: The success of American perfumery was hard-won. It cannot claim a royal heritage; there were no heralds proclaiming its legitimacy. Early American perfumers had to overcome a strongly held public perception that French perfumes were superior. Many French perfume houses deserved this high regard but there bad perfumes on both sides and there were early American houses creating truly fine fragrance. By the end of WW1 American perfumery was seeing success, but then the Great Depression hit. Very few of that first generation of perfumers made it through the depression. Fortunately, Blocki did and continued into the late 1940s until it ran out of family members interested in keeping it going.

Photo: Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune/MCT Water cascades through Columbus Park in River Forest,  designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen

Favorite American Artist:  Landscape architect Jens Jensen’s work with indigenous plants and materials; finding beauty in your own backyard is timeless.

—Tyler DeLaBar Kraemer, Co-founder of Blocki Perfumes

Editor’s Note: Blocki Perfumes can be found in New York at Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothocary. Kevin Verspoor is a former CaFleurebon Contributor and was the nose behind the Fragrance Foundation Award winning Odin Omanu 6 in the Indie category. The Blocki Pinterest Board can be found here

Thanks to the generosity of Tyler DeLaBar Kraemer and Blocki Perfume we have a draw for our registered  US, EU and Canada (you must do this folks and use your registered name) as follows:

Blocki Perfumes For Walks, In Every Season and This Grand Affair

For our US readers you have a choice of 50 ml For Walks, 50 ml In Every Season  or 50 ml This Grand Affair. If you prefer a sample set of all three or live in The EU or Canada, the draw for a sampler is open to all readers.  To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Blocki Perfumes and Tyler DeLaBar Kraemer. where you live and your choice of fragrance should you win (note country restrictions).   Draw closes October 9, 2015

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We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.