The RLL Department invited you to a talk with Bob Davidson:

"Smelling the Archive: Perfumery, Culture, Spain"

When Puig Beauty & Fashion Group, acquired its longtime rival Myrurgia in 2000, it closed a circle on Spanish perfumery that had begun in the mid-1910s. Along with Perfumería Gal in Madrid, these houses were at the heart of Spanish and Catalan fragrance production for nearly a century. In this presentation, I employ an intersensorial approach to trace the ways in which both Myrurgia and Puig contributed to Spanish olfactory modernity via product design, advertising, and most importantly, the fragrances, themselves. By testing vintage perfumes such as Maderas de Oriente, Maja, Agua Lavanda, Agua Brava, and Quorum, we will explore themes of Orientalism and Othering, olfactory terroir, the aspirational power of scent, as well as the importance of smelling in the humanities. (Note: Those with sensitivity to scents should take note that there will be active testing during the talk.)

Bob Davidson, Professor of Spanish and Catalan and Affiliate Faculty with the Culinaria Research Centre, specializes in theories of food and hospitality. Author of Jazz Age Barcelona (shortlisted for the Canada Prize) and The Hotel: Occupied Space, his latest project, The Scent of Spain: Fragrance, Odour and Culture, looks at key fragrances and smells that were part of Spain’s modern experience. Prof. Davidson currently serves as Director of the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria College and as Chair of the Manuscript Review Committee of University of Toronto Press. In 2022, he was awarded the XXXIV Premi Josep M. Batista i Roca – Memorial Enric Garriga Trullols for the promotion of Catalan culture abroad. He takes his martini with a little extra vermouth and an olive.

DATE: Tuesday November 28th, 5pm-7pm

LOCATION: Boylston Hall, Room 335