The Society for Olfactory Preservation: A Manifesto
We, the members of the Society for Olfactory Preservation, or SOP, wish to present a few specimens of some of the most celebrated historical odors, which we have painstakingly kept intact for the benefit of humankind. We believe that the tyranny of the visual and textual has overtaken the most significant of all human senses for the most accurate understanding of our history, that is, the sense of smell. It is a well-known fact of science that the olfactory sense is the one most tied to memory. To truly experience these pivotal historical moments, it is imperative that one imbibes through the sensitive organ of the nose.
The odors that you will be privy to inhale have been preserved in their original inviolate forms through the centuries. Members of our elite society have been meticulously collecting these samples for hundreds and even thousands of years with the knowledge that future generations will apprehend these historic moments most completely upon experiencing the exhibit. We advise that you approach each specimen with some trepidation as the intensity of the scent concentrate will transport you to another time and place, and this may prove disorienting. Ladies may wish to have a gentleman present to aid her if she should faint.
(Giving credit when it is due- wife Linda wrote the manifesto after listening to Chris and I ramble on)
The idea originally came up a few years ago- Chris and Lupita Tinned were over at Linda's and my house a few years ago and some ideas were flying around the room, and it just sort of came to Chris and I almost spontaneously- The Museum of Smell - and we looked at each other and said, "We have to do this." It's about four years later, (maybe five) but here is the first incarnation.
We're installing on Friday. Chris is making the pedestals (which will probably be the best pedestals ever made) and I have been working on the "Interactive Olfactory Dispensers" which, oddly enough, look a lot like little cameras.
