Colonial Dmes Co., Ltd. was established more than a century ago by descendents of Colonial Virginia Governor Henry Wise. It is believed to be the oldest skin care and cosmetics company in the country. Founded in 1886 in San Francisco, known at the time as the notorious "Barbary Coast." Founder Marietta Bosworth was a stage actress who realized there was a need for quality cosmetics in the wild and woolly West. As word of her skin care products spread, her clientele quickly grew from the thespian set to the public at large. Colonial Dmes cosmetics were popular among starlets as well as prop men, who placed the elegant products in numerous movies and television shows, ranging from the 1936 Three Stooges comedy "Slippery Silks" to a recent episode of "Frasier."