Fragrance house

C.O.Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow began in 1838 as The Village Apothecary Shoppe in Greenwich Village, New York City, founded by Vermont physician Dr. Galen Hunter. In 1880, Hunter’s employee Clarence Otis Bigelow purchased the shop and gave it the C.O. Bigelow name; the business moved to its current Sixth Avenue location in 1902. William B. Ginsberg acquired the store in 1939, followed by his son Jerry in the 1960s. Ian Ginsberg joined the family business in 1985 and acquired the store from his father in 1996. Under Ian Ginsberg, C.O. Bigelow expanded beyond pharmacy into beauty, fragrance, and personal care while retaining an apothecary-based identity, personalized attention, custom formulas, and historic preparations. Its fragrance heritage includes Bay Rum Cologne, which dates to 1907 and has been made from the same formula for more than a century. In 2018, the brand introduced an Iconic Collection of four fragrances inspired by historic apothecary recipes, including the long-lost Aqua Mellis, or Honey Water, formula. In 2024, its chemists continued developing products with historic formulas and modern technology.