Shulton
The mark of a man.
The Shulton Company was founded in New Jersey in 1934 by William Lightfoot Schultz, capitalising on the era's revival of Colonial-era Americana to launch Early American Old Spice — initially for women — in 1937, followed by the now-legendary men's version before Christmas of that year. Sales of $982,000 at end of 1938 reached $3 million within twelve months, establishing Shulton as a major force in American personal care. The company moved its manufacturing to a 43-acre Clifton, New Jersey facility in 1946, where it produced Old Spice alongside other household brands. William Schultz's son George took over after his father's death in 1950 and oversaw continued growth. In 1990 Procter & Gamble acquired the Old Spice brands from Shulton, ending the company's independent life. Shulton's contribution was outsized: it essentially created the American mass-market men's fragrance category from scratch.
DNA over time
Each column is an era. Each colored band shows that family’s share of accord weight across every perfume the house released in that window. Bigger band = the house leaned harder on that family.
