William Shakespeare is one of the leading dramatists of all time; the first true master of the modern English language – but he was a pioneer in more ways than one. Researchers at The History Bluff have discovered that Shakespeare may well have been the first person to sell cosmetics and perfumes door to door.

Shakespeare achieved a comfortable living as a playwright, but never came close to the massive success and acclaim his name would reach only after death. As a result, when he retired in 1613, he took up a part-time job in direct retail, going from house to house in the finer sections of London, hawking the finest perfumes and lotions from across the seven seas.

An elderly Shakespeare displays several tasty varieties of lip gloss.

A puzzling fact is that Shakespeare eventually received the ignominious title of the “Avon lady.” Avon seems to have come from Stratford-on-Avon, the hamlet where Shakespeare spent the beginning and ending years of his life. Why he was referred to as a lady is at the center of much debate among scholars. Generally it is assumed that even in the early 17th century, the products Shakespeare was selling were only of interest to the fairer sex. Another school of thought holds that it is an oblique reference to the fact that in all of Shakespeare’s plays, the female roles were always portrayed by men, due to the strict censorship of the time. Stung by the humiliation of his new nickname, and unable to achieve even modest success in his new line of work, Shakespeare died in obscurity in 1616.