VINTAGE COMPACT DESIGNERS K - M
KATHERINE BAUMANN: Contemporary compacts.
KIGU: The first Kigu compact was created by Gustav Kiashek, a second generation master silver and goldsmith from Hungary. By the early 1920s, he had a factor in Budapest to produce these compacts under his firm's tradename - Kigu. The name Kigu was derived by KI-ashek, GU-stav. His son George came to England in 1939. The Kigu Co. was established by George Kiashek in Great Britain in 1947. Advertised their product as "compacts of character". Excellent compacts - beautiful, well engineered with quality materials. Made their very collectible "flying saucer" compact in 1951. Stopped making compacts in the late 1950s and manufactured costume jewelry. Taken over by the AS Brown Co. (Mascot) in 1977 on the death of Mr. Kiashek.
K & K: United States. Kotler & Kopet. Manufactured compacts sometime during the 1930s to 1950s.
KLIX: Klix is the trademark of D. Harris & Co of Great Britain. Began manufacturing in 1950s. Famous for their transparent plastic compacts with a simple print on the lid.
LADY ESTHER: American cosmetics house. Another company that probably began mass producing affordable compacts in the 1940s.
LA MODE: United States. Ripley & Gowan Co. Manufacturing compacts as early as the 1930s.
LANGLOIS: Cara Noma and Shari were two of its compact lines.
LE RAGE: Great Britain. A division of the Evans Components Co. Manufactured compacts only during the early 1950s.
LILLY DACHE: From what I can tell, Lilly Dache was a designer who was commissioned by different cosmetic houses to design compact cases.
LUCIEN LELONG: Paris cosmetics house.
LUCRETIA VANDERBILT: No definitive information.
MADELIN BETH: Contemporary compacts.
MAJESTIC: No definitive information.
MARGARET ROSE: England. Often did inferior copies of Stratton, Melissa and Kigu - some with enameling. Probably in business at least in the 1950s and 1960s.
MARHILL: One of the leading manufacturers of mother of pearl compacts.
MARIE EARLE: A cosmetic house. Had their compact cases manufactured by another company.
MASCOT: Trademark of AS Brown of England. Manufacturing compacts as early as the 1940s and signed ASB. Began using the Mascot tradename in 1950. Famous for compacts shaped as handbags which were done during the 1950s. Absorbed the Kigu Co in 1977. Continued producing compacts into the 1980s. eventually absorbed by the Stratton Co.
MASQUE: Contemporary compacts.
MAVCO: New York. In operation at least during the 1940s.
McCRAE & KEELER: United States. Manufacturing compacts as early as the 1930s.
MELISSA: Trademark of Searchlight Products Ltd of Acton, London. Began manufacturing in the early 1950s.
MONET: American costume jewelry manufacturer. Probably began a limited line of compacts in the 1940-1950 era.
MORNY: England. Manufacturing compacts as early as the 1920s.