We’ve all heard that scent is a trigger for memory, often referred to as the ‘Proustian phenomenon’, after a story in Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time where a character vividly recalls childhood memories after smelling a tea-soaked madeleine cake.
But rather than wait for a fluke of circumstance to ignite a memory, Amy Radcliffe of Central Saint Martin’s set out to create a ‘scentography’ camera that captures scent the same way we might capture something with video or a photograph.
The beautifully crafted ‘camera’, named Madeline after Proust’s story, uses techniques developed in the 1970s (!) to capture scent. There are so many fabulous possibilities where a machine like this could be applied. Here are some of my own:
- I’ve got a new grandchild on the way. Thank you Bex and Tim. So saving the scent of a newborn comes to mind.
- Capturing the smell of a New Zealand summer holiday. BBQ, glass of Pinot and all.
- Your own bed. Imaging being able to rest one’s head on a hotel pillow that smells just like your own.
- The great outdoors when you’re on a long-haul flight. Whether you’re in first class or economy, air quality in planes leave a lot to be desired.
