Charles Revson

Birth Name:

Charles Haskell Revson

Birth Date:

October 11, 1906

Birth Place:

Somerville, Massachusetts

Death Date:

August 24, 1975

Place of Death:

116 Premium Point, New Rochelle, New York

Age:

Cause of Death:

Pancreatic cancer

Cemetery Name:

Ferncliff Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Charles Revson was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was best known as a pioneering cosmetics industry executive who, with brother Joseph Revson along with a chemist, Charles Lachman (who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name) created and managed Revlon through five decades. Notoriously difficult and brilliant, Revson was the visionary behind the growth of Revlon, which he had started with his brother. Among his business innovations were “matching lips and fingertips.” Before Revson decreed it, no one had thought of coordinating the two by color. In fact, there weren’t many shades available to women until he promoted a wide spectrum of reds, pinks, and oranges with exotic and provocative names. Revson also pioneered perfumes driven by personality—Norell, which he named after the fashion designer, is considered to be the first great American scent—and he ushered in the idea of the supermodel by offering Lauren Hutton an unprecedented $200,000-a-year exclusive deal in 1973, marking the beginning of huge cosmetics contracts. Today Revlon gross sales are approaching $2.0 billion dollars.

Fun Fact

While it is a fact that he was never intimate with Lauren Hutton, Charles Revson did have an affair with actress/singer Eartha Kitt. Oh yes he did.

Charles Revson was also a hopeless romantic. In February 1974, on their 10th wedding anniversary, Charles presented Lyn with a tin can—tin being the traditional gift for a decade of marriage—containing $30,000 and five jeweled Van Cleef & Arpels entwined-hearts bracelets, presumably to symbolize the five members of her family. Charles then kissed Lyn good-bye and went to his office. An hour later, she received a call from his lawyer. “Charles wants a divorce,” the lawyer said. What a charmer.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Ferncliff Cemetery

280 Secor Road

Hartsdale, New York, 10530

USA

North America

Map:

Grave Location:

Ferncliff Mausoleum, Unit 4, Alcove BBB, Crypt 2

Grave Location Description

As you enter the Ferncliff Mausoleum, turn right, then left, then right again. Before you walk out into the new addition (the new addition has natural light beaming in) look for a stairwell that goes up one level. Take those stairs and make your way to the far wall with the row of private crypts. Revson is on the right as you walk towards the top right corner of the original building.

Grave Location GPS

41.02813112, -73.8351569075

Photos:

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Videos Featuring Charles Revson:

Honoring The Charles H. Revson Foundation

1950's Makeup Look - Revlon Lipstick Mania (1956)

Revlon Snow Peach Lipstick Commercial 1956

Charles Revson

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Map:

Grave Location:

Grave Location Description

Grave Location GPS

Photos:

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