The Scent Archive

The Scent Archive is dedicated to exploring myriad cultures and histories of perfumery. It exists as an ongoing series of talks, discussions, and gatherings that trace the shifting outlines of fragrance through time. The archive queries so-called great works, fashions, and the people and ideas that have shaped fragrance culture. Here, perfume is considered both as art and as a cultural phenomenon, equally open to moments of lighthearted appreciation and to slow, critical inquiry.

This stream welcomes those who love perfume for its beauty and its craft, and those who are curious about the broader worlds it connects to: the histories of influential movements, the evolution of fragrance styles, the legacies of iconic compositions and their composers, and the contexts—social, cultural, and aesthetic—that give them meaning. Whether looking closely at a single celebrated perfume or surveying a movement that changed the way we smell, the Scent Archive treats each subject as part of a conditional and unfolding story.

We begin with a small selection of programs and hope to expand this body of work in future.

Sniffs Party

This event is a perfume smelling (and swapping) get-together. Bring your favourite perfumes to the party, or alternatively, those you’re willing to part with for the right trade. Open to all, this event encourages redolent discussion over light refreshment. Haggling is optional.

This event will be recurring, with details and dates posted on the registration page.

Single Note Series

This lecture series takes a close read of one historically celebrated perfume at a time. We explore not only the composition, but also its narrative, cultural weight, and continued presence or afterlives, asking how one fragrance can come to define an era, a style, or even an entire tradition of perfumery.

Series dates will be posted on an ongoing occasional basis.