Cecilia Bembibre Is On a Mission to Save the Scents of History
The scent scholar aims to preserve an olfactory side of the past with her Smell of Heritage project.
By Aileen Kwun
September 26, 2020
2 minute read
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“Smells can be a gateway to our history, helping us understand the sensory worlds of the past,” scent scholar Cecilia Bembibre tells us. A researcher at the University of College London’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage, Bembibre’s focus is rooted in the belief that smells are a crucial, if intangible, part of our cultural heritage—and her work aims to provide a structured approach in researching and preserving them. As part of her Ph.D., she launched Smell of Heritage, a project that delves into the invisible layers often overlooked in historical accounts, archiving aromas that range from leather gloves to mold to dusty old books.