"A Scent of History"

[BinkieBaumont]

I know that for me certain smells and fragrances evoke a gentler, more stylish time, I'm not talking "Moth Balls" or "Lux Soap" ..... but I do I love the smell of Guerlains "Vol De Nuit", a scent from the early 1930's, I also love the smell of "New Fur" ( it does have a cool . fresh clean smell)........The Smokey scent of Russian Caravan tea, and smell of Toasted Fuit Muffins take me back too. I dont smoke but I love the smell of those french cigarettes "Gitanes" I could even leave them burning in ash trays, around the house for "ambiance"

 

[Viola]

My grandfather's pipe tobacco and cigars. White Owl cigars are not the fanciest but the boxes (all I ever saw of said cigars) sure smell vintage to me. And the pipe tobacco is mellow. We've kept his pipes.

As far as vintage perfumes, I don't know much, but I'm eager to try Chanel No. 19 having read the description online.

 

[Paisley]

Musty old house--it's the smell of love.

 

[Imahomer]

Tapioca pudding being cooked !

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Pinaud Clubman Talc. Love that smell of an old Barber's shop. I have the after shave.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Kerosene. What houses smelled like before central heating.

 

[HadleyH]

burning leaves... pipe...cigar... some cooking smells...oil varnish that you put on paintings.... and many more i can't remember now

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Kerosene. What houses smelled like before central heating.

From the kerosene-soaked saw dust?

 

[Bourbon Guy]

The smell of coal smoke outdoors in the winter from all the coal fired furnaces that have long since been replaced. Had forgotten that smell until I encountered it in Scotland again many years back. Instant recognition, and nothing else like it.

 

[vitanola]

Come around to my neighborhood, you will smell it still.

I couldn't afford to heat this old barn without the use of some solid fuel, and in these parts coal is somewhat cheaper than wood, and of course it requires much less effort.

Cashmere Boquet, lilac water, and LaPalina cigars transport me back to my grandparent's house.

AH! the pantry, smelling of coffee and the vanilla beans in the sugar castor!

The cellar, with that mixed smell of must, fresh paint, saurkraut, metal polish, laundry soap and bleach.

The attic, with the scent of mingled moth balls, old wood, and asphalt shingles.

 

[Bourbon Guy]

I wouldn't even know where to get coal nowadays. You can get it? Out where you are? I'll open my window as I pass by Albion. Maybe the wind will be from the south.

 

[Brooksie]

Mom's apple pie.

 

[Viola]

Kerosene. What houses smelled like before central heating.

That's what my house smells like now and I could really do without. [huh]

I love the smell of woodsmoke, though.

I think of cooking smells as homey but I don't know that what I think of as my comfort food is that vintage-American. Sort of an Italian-Jewish-Chinese medley!

Oooh, fresh soft pretzels!

 

[Mike K.]

Old Spice cologne
Pipe smoke
Musty house
Old Books
Bacon & eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet
Moth balls
Coffee
Leather

 

[carter]

New mown hay
Rain on a boxwood hedge
The scent of magnolia blossoms
Fresh laundry on a clothesline
Pies in the oven
Wood smoke
My grandfather's roses
My Mom's Estee Lauder perfume

 

[Flivver]

Leaded gasoline...intoxicating for a car nut like me!

A common smell from the introduction of Ethyl gasoline in 1923, to the late 1970s when the EPA prohibited it.

 

[Paisley]

My grandfather's roses

You should visit the Antique Rose Emporium, or at least place an order.

http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/independence.html

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

I have to agree with Paisley's earlier post. The smell of a musty house really invokes thoughts of the rich history of a space to me. Old books are great too! Oh how I wish the smell of an old library could be bottled. I was just reminiscing the other day about our old Middle School's library. Up until the year after I left Middle School, it was in a VERY old building from the turn of the century. The library was in the middle section, at the very top of the stairs. I remember going up the massive ancient wood staircase, up flight after flight until getting to the musty old library! My favorite book was "Spells, Chants, and Incantations". They had it in our Elementary School library too. I wonder if it's still there.

So, an old musty house and opening an old book and getting a whiff of that old library smell. That's where it's at for me. Unfortunately my significant other disagrees and won't let me build up a healthy amount of dust on the shelves (a necessary ingredient to "musty" smell) I can't wait for my possessions to start to smell old! lol

 

[Paisley]

I love the smell of an old library! I love books and I really liked the librarian at my first grade school. The librarian at my next grade school, Mrs. Boris, was a different story. I read in a high school yearbook that some of the students signed a petition for her dismissal.

 

[carter]

You should visit the Antique Rose Emporium, or at least place an order.

http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/independence.html

Paisley, Thanks for your suggestion. I ordered a catalog from them.