Diorama by Christian Dior c1948

Diorama by Christian Dior: created by Edmond Roudnitska and launched in 1948 in France, in USA by 1949.

Original Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a sweet fruity chypre fragrance for women with a slight oriental essence. An exotic blend of fruits: plum, melon, peach, raspberry and strawberry atop tropic plants and flowers including tuberose, gardenia, heliotrope, Persian and Bulgarian roses, jasmine and amaranth with spiced incense overtones on civet, sycomore, tobacco, moss and leather.

• Top notes: amaranth, carnation, bergamot, peach, melon, plum, aldehydes, heliotrope 
• Middle notes:  Bulgarian rose, jasmine, gardenia, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, lily-of-the-valley, violet, Persian rose, caraway, meridian fennel, strawberry, pepper, raspberry, galbanum
• Base notes: sycomore, tobacco flower, frankincense, patchouli, labdanum, vetiver, musk, sandalwood, Saxon oak moss, Virginia cedar, castoreum, civet, leather

Diorama was available in the following products:

• Parfum
• Eau de Toilette
• Eau de Cologne
• Dusting Powder

Mademoiselle, 1949:

"From France. Dior's sulky, sweet Diorama. $5 per dram."

Cue, 1951:

"Dior suggests a tender, blossoming fragrance. Miss Dior, for the young in spirit. For the worldly wise, Diorama, a vivid, opulent perfume. $5.00 for a dram."

Home Journal, 1953:

"Dior's deep-toned scent of elegance, Diorama."

Vogue, 1968:

"Adventurous and slightly Oriental Diorama."

Christian Dior, 1970:

"A second scent, Diorama, was launched in 1949, when the first licence for Christian Dior stockings was agreed with Julius Kayser."

Bottles:

In the early 1950s, Diorama parfum was presented in Baccarat cut crystal urn/amphora shaped flacons, in blue, ruby and white cut to clear crystal.

To open the classic Dior crystal flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Christian Dior themselves in 1963:

Should warm water on the bottle neck fail, tap the stopper gently with a knife handle; or try rubbing face cream or vaseline around neck of stopper.

Another rare presentation is the Baccarat crystal obelisk, from the 1950s.

The New Yorker, 1953:

"Dior, a practical fellow, has made some plain bottles for Diorama and Miss Dior. Sold with funnels, these are meant to refill the fancy bottles that were presumably, last year's Christmas presents. $9 a quarter ounce and $24 an ounce."

Home Journal, 1953:

"Dior makes refills for his deluxe urns in both Miss Dior and Diorama. Refill for the $30 bottle. $20."

Homes and Gardens, 1954:

"An elegant and delightful gift is Christian Dior's " Duo," of a 1/2 oz. amphore of Miss Dior perfume, and another of Diorama, in a grey-and-gold case."

 Cue, 1966:

"Christian Dior has just introduced a complete aerosol perfume collection. In addition to the purse-size atomizer (at $5), you can now color-select your favorite in three sizes — Miss Dior in white package, Diorama in grey, Diorissimo in pink, Diorling in yellow."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Diorama was discontinued in 1986 but old stock was still being sold in 1990.

It was reformulated with modern ingredients and relaunched in 2010 as part of Dior’s collection Les Creations de Monsieur Dior. It is still offered for sale on Dior's website (2023).

The new version's composition:

• Top notes: bergamot, ylang ylang, orange blossom
• Heart notes: Indian jasmine, Turkish rose, peach, caraway, Egyptian cumin,  plum
• Base notes: patchouli, Virginia cedar

Les Creations de Monsieur Dior Diorama is available as:

• 50ml eau de toilette
• 100ml eau de toilette