Smells, Sounds and Textures of Iberian Modernity: Spain’s Perfumed Modernity

Come join us on Friday, October 6, 3:30-5:00 PM in 103 Chancellor Green for the first invited guest lecture of the “Smells, Sounds, and Textures of Iberian Modernity” talk series, entitled “Spain’s Perfumed Modernity.” Invited guest speaker Bob Davidson, Professor of Spanish and Catalan Studies at the University of Toronto, will take us on a sensory journey through the rise of Spain’s perfume industry from the 1910s to 2000, discussing the role Perfumería Gal, Myurgia, and Puig played in the construction of Spanish olfactory modernity via product design, advertising, and the fragrances themselves. The talk will be sensorily interactive, as audience members will be invited to test vintage perfumes like Maderas de Oriente, Maja, Agua Lavanda, Agua Brava, and Quorum while exploring themes of orientalism and Othering, terroir, the aspirational power of scent, and, ultimately, the importance of smelling in the Humanities.

Disclaimer: Because we will be smelling perfumes during the talk, those with sensitivity to fragrances may wish not to attend.

This event has been made possible by the generous support of Spanish & Portuguese, the Humanities Council, the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion, the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities, Near Eastern Studies, Art & Archaeology, Music, Comparative Literature, Religion, Anthropology, and the Program in European Cultural Studies.