Industrializing Olfaction: How Soapmakers Changed the Urban American Smellscape in the Late 19th Century & Early 20th Century
MHS Event
Shiqi Wang, Stony Brook University
Comment: Melanie A. Kiechle, Virginia Tech
This seminar will workshop a work in progress.
The event is virtual and free of charge.
Dark and toxic soot covered the sky of Chicago in the late-19 century as well as other American cities reshaped by an industrial revolution. Even as factories released smoke with burnt match smells, their owners had set about mass producing perfumed soap. Workers at soap factories suffered from skin burn, injuries, and death due to constant exposure to caustic chemicals. Cunningly dealing with complaints about offensive smells they released into public space, companies made a fortune by selling the prospect of pleasant smells in private space, tying purchase of their products to individual hygiene and beauty. By the early twentieth century, American soap reached Japan and changed the smellscape internationally.
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The virtual seminar begins at 5:00 PM and will be hosted on the video conference platform, Zoom. Registrants will receive a confirmation message with attendance information.
If you have any questions about the program or accessibility needs, please contact Cassie Cloutier at ccloutier@masshist.org.
