How can smell characterize a place

It can transport us back in time in a moment. The sense of smell is more closely linked with memory than any of the other senses. It also evokes emotions. Smell is one of the most important reasons people are attracted to each other.

It is one of our most important survival mechanisms. A bad smell warns us that we are in danger, for example, when we smell smoke or rotten food. Still, it's a deep and rich sense, and it can enhance how you communicate especially when you're crafting a story or describing a moment. It can enhance how you experience your other senses particularly taste, such as tasting complex flavors in wine and dark chocolate , and even with determining when fruit is ripe or milk is spoiled.

If you'd like to pin down a smell in words, here are some tips that can help you. For more tips on describing a smell, like how to borrow words from other senses, keep reading!

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Article Summary. Identify your reason for describing the smell. Why do you want to communicate it? Your description may be different depending on whether you are writing a technical manual or writing a poem.

If you're describing the smell aloud, your tone of voice and body language may lend an additional level of meaning. Do you want to capture the nature of the smell or the overall quality? Do you want your reader or listener to recognize an unfamiliar smell based on your description? Do you want to evoke a certain meaning or feeling in your reader? Observe the smell.

If it is possible and safe to do so, smell what you wish to describe. Pay full attention to it. Remove distractions. Don't smoke or wear fragrances or drink strongly scented beverages. Take breaks. The sense of smell acclimates or becomes accustomed to a smell. Remove the smell or remove yourself from the smell for a while if you stop being able to smell it or smell it distinctly. Notice any words, images, feelings , or memories that the smell brings to mind.

If you have any sort of gut reaction, pay attention to it. Make notes if you can, even if they're disjointed. Notice descriptions of smells when you see or hear them. This could be advertising "lemony fresh", "fresh pine scent" , poems , or technical descriptions. Look especially hard at other sources that are similar to what you're trying to convey.

Use adjectives. Adjectives can describe the general, overall quality of the smell. Wispy, rancid, airy, musty, stale, fresh, putrid, faint, light, floral, and acrid are all adjectives that could pertain to smell. Smell origins may take the form of a noun the smell of leather or an adjective a leathery smell.

The adjective may describe the effect where the noun describes a specific source. Use imaginative adjectives. Saying that a vile smell was "like sucking puss out of a festered wound" does not actually describe the smell as such, but pulls on so many different thoughts and memories that the mind races to label it odious.

Use nouns. Often a smell will conjure thoughts of its source. Does your smell remind you of strawberries? Like fresh rain? Smoke smells different depending on its source. Can you tell the difference between smoke from a campfire and a wildfire? Between cigarette, cigar or pipe smoke? Could you recognize burning rubber or a vehicle that was burning oil purely by the smell of it?

Use verbs. Verbs are strong, direct, active words. Use verbs for the smells themselves. Smells can waft, distract, hint, permeate, suggest, confuse, conjure images, command attention, or intrude upon the consciousness. Use verbs to describe the source of the smell. For inorganic compounds, and some organic compounds that are difficult to sample using SPME, other sampling and analytical techniques may be more useful, from direct detection to various types of separation techniques [ 35 ].

SPME was developed in the s by Pawliszyn et al. It has been used successfully to extract and analyse VOCs from historic materials [ 38 ], including paper [ 39 , 40 ]. GC—MS techniques are routinely used to analyse perfumes and cosmetic preparations [ 41 ]. SPME—GC—MS as used in this paper has been specifically optimized for analysis of the headspace of objects made of organic materials, such as book and paper [ 33 ], leather and parchment [ 42 ] and has been successfully used to sample air in libraries [ 43 ].

Recent research shows that the profiles of volatile organic compounds found in historic libraries can be directly linked to the emissions from decaying books and wood furnishing [ 43 ], which makes it reasonable to assume that sampling VOCs both from books and from library environments can be done using the same technique, i. The vocabulary we use to describe smells is important and it is essential that a methodology to describe odours for archival purposes includes a sensory description, in addition to the chemical one.

In some industries, the human nose is the main tool to characterize odours due to its accuracy and sensitivity [ 44 ]. Human olfactory experience depends on several factors, including genetic profile, ethnic background, gender, age [ 45 ], cultural background [ 46 ], and overall physical environment. Information on the evaluator and the evaluation circumstances can therefore be valuable metadata on the heritage smell. The terminology to describe heritage smells is not standardized, in line with the general poverty of the olfactory vocabulary [ 4 , 47 ].

However, this is independent of our ability to perceive and identify different smells, and respond to them [ 48 ]. Many attempts have been made to unify the way to describe odours pertaining to flavour, fragrances, or malodours [ 47 , 49 , 50 ]. Working with reports of odour nuisance, Curren [ 51 ] developed an odour wheel based on descriptions by the complainants and cross-referenced it with potential odour-causing compounds.

Recently, a bilingual English—Spanish dictionary for urban smells was created, using information from literature and urban smellwalks, and relating the selected terms to social media tagging [ 52 ].

All of the aspects considered in the Introduction could serve as a general framework to identify and document smells with historic value: i Significance Assessment; ii Chemical Analysis; iii Sensory Analysis; iv Archiving.

This opens up a new field of documentation and archiving as well as conservation of historic smells with heritage value, the foundations of which we explore in the frame of a case study based on the well-known and appreciated historic library smell, where we propose the Historic Book Odour Wheel as a key documentation tool.

Often, the smell of books intrigues and inspires: a copy of the novel Ulysses which belonged to T. In this case, association with a prominent author gave significance to the information resulting from the VOC analysis. These aromas, along with those of the surrounding furnishings of a historic library space, create the unique smell that many visitors appreciate, conferring significance to this aroma through its communal value.

Similarly, users of archives consider smell as an important characteristic of documents; this could be related to the fact that, in the age of digitization, working with physical records is an increasingly rare practice, and therefore the opportunity to touch and smell the documents is perceived as valuable [ 55 ]. In this case, in addition to the explicit communal value, the smell becomes culturally significant by its association with a heritage space and its collection.

Further evidence of the significance of the smell of books in the collective olfactory memory is the number of scented products themed on books and libraries over 30 candles, perfumes and oils available from a single London store in As convenient as e-readers may be, many readers long for the nostalgia that the smell of a book can evoke [ 56 ]. The case for the smell of books as a case study is strengthened when the cultural significance is coupled with the research conducted on the volatile organic compounds VOCs constituting the aroma of historic books as a non-destructive diagnostic tool for paper degradation [ 34 , 57 ], which the next section will address further.

The goal of this experiment was to gain information on VOCs emitted by historic paper and compare it with the VOCs found in the environment of the library in St. A selection of the major VOC peaks found in the historic book and the historic library is presented in Table 1. The degradation reactions are either hydrolytic or oxidative and lead to the production of VOCs in varying proportions, depending on the composition of paper and its rate of degradation [ 34 ]. The data in this table could be used as a base to potentially recreate the smell in the future and may thus be of archival and conservation value.

As is evident, the smell of historic books is a complex mixture of compounds. However, in order to interpret the chemical information, we need to explore the appropriate terminology and method to describe it. The attribution of odour descriptors to the library environment is a way to contextualize the chemical findings. It can highlight the odorants most easily perceived by the human nose in the sample but also potentially identify smells that were not extracted by the SPME fibre.

In the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where visitors where presented with the unlabelled historic book smell, a total of descriptors were collected from 79 respondents Additional file 1. A wordcloud Fig.

Wordcloud of historic book smell descriptors collected from visitors to the Birmingham museum and art gallery, UK. There were three descriptors with three mentions each, and eleven descriptors that were mentioned twice.

It has been observed that providing linguistic or visual cues prior to odour sampling can affect the olfactory experience and influence smell classification [ 60 ]. However, there is also evidence that in non-ambiguous smells which would be the case of the familiar scents of coffee and chocolate , the misperception triggered by the verbal context does not go beyond smells closely associated with the ones perceived [ 61 ].

Cocoa as well as coffee are known to contain significant amounts of furfural and furanoid compounds, acetic acid, higher aldehydes heptanal, hexanal, octanal , vanillin and benzoic acid [ 62 , 63 ] and many other compounds identical to those in decaying paper Table 1.

It would therefore appear to be reasonable to expect for museum visitors to associate the aromas of chocolate and coffee with that of historic paper, considering that many identical volatiles in the aroma profiles of the three substances are identical and that in addition, the same visitors were primed to think of chocolate and coffee while visiting the exhibition prior to responding to the questionnaire. In addition to describing the smell, people tended to spontaneously comment on hedonic tone and intensity.

As per the visual and verbal cue influence on odour classification, the relation of these findings to the visual cue of the space since the experiment was conducted in the library, participants could see wooden furniture, old books, etc.

Regarding intensity, the average intensity noted was 4. Finally, the panellists rated their perceived pleasantness or unpleasantness hedonic tone of the library odour. Combining the chemical and sensory analysis of a smell to produce a holistic characterization of it is an effective practice, usually used for edible or perfume samples [ 65 , 66 ]. Creating an odour wheel for historic smells, where untrained noses could identify an aroma from the description and gain information about the chemical causing the odour, establishes a novel method of heritage documentation.

Odour wheels are created from information provided by a sensory panel on odour character and intensity. They have been developed and used successfully to characterize smells related to drinking water and wastewater [ 50 ]. For the historic paper odour wheel Fig. All the descriptors were used in the evaluation. When no existing categories from the urban wheel encompassed the descriptions, a new category was created.

Odour wheel of historic book containing general aroma categories, sensory descriptors and chemical information on the smells as sampled colours are arbitrary. With the main categories in the inner circle and the descriptors in the outer circle, the aroma wheel also features the likely chemical compound causing the smell. Odour wheels are dynamic tools: they evolve when new information is gained about the causes of a particular smell [ 50 ].

While they tend to be used in sensory panels, there is evidence that trained and untrained assessors identify similar global differences in aroma perception [ 67 ].

Therefore, some odour wheels, such as the original wheel for wine tasting designed by Noble in the s, are intended for use of both professional and lay assessors [ 68 ]. The chemical aspects of paper aroma have been researched to a considerable extent in the past decade.

It has been shown that some VOCs can be linked specifically to degradation of cellulose e. While a thorough discussion of the associated degradation chemistry and material characterization is outside the scope of the work discussed here, it is worth pointing out that the perceived smell of a historic book could be of importance in artefact conservation, and has been observed to be used by professionals in paper conservation practice.

Furthermore, it could help the interpretation of historic aromas, contributing to developing a common vocabulary to describe them. At a time where the first olfaction-related inclusion into the UNESCO intangible heritage list is being considered, the discussion around the cultural significance, analysis and preservation of historic smells is highly relevant.

This work has argued that smells can be considered part of our intangible heritage, and that a definition of heritage smells requires an exploration of the relationships aromas have with other aspects of cultural heritage, such as, local practices and traditions, and language. Experiments confirmed that SPME—GC—MS is a non-destructive, effective technique to record and study heritage smells of organic origin such as book smell.

Chemical analysis, in conjunction with sensory evaluation and the use of techniques such as smellwalks, make it possible to go beyond the ephemeral nature of smells to identify, document and articulate them.

The historic book odour wheel is a new tool that combines the chemical and sensory aspects of the odour experience and can be considered a preliminary piece in an archival method for heritage smells.

It has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool by conservators, informing on the condition of the object through its olfactory profile. In terms of visitor experience and interpretation, the olfactory experience in museums, both as a communication strategy and as an art form, could contribute to improved learning, to a more personal connection to the exhibits and an increased overall enjoyment.

Furthermore, a public discussion is essential to develop olfactory vocabulary and to identify aromas that have cultural meaning and significance. Although supported by and in dialogue with olfactory-related research conducted in many fields, this study extends our knowledge of smells in a new direction.

Further research, including a formal interdisciplinary discussion and case studies, are required to build these findings into a body of work that could significantly inform and benefit heritage management, conservation, visitor experience design and heritage policy making. In the library environment, the fibres were placed vertically on an even surface and exposed for 1 h and for 24 h.

Two further blank fibres were taken to the environment but not exposed; all were then taken to the lab for analysis. This method included a 2-min solvent delay. No quantitative calibration was attempted. The chosen solvent was methanol M, Sigma-Aldrich, Gillingham , which has been proven effective for extracting plant materials [ 69 ].

Its toxicity and flammability were considered potential drawbacks; so the samples were only used after methanol was evaporated. The degraded sample was then placed into a mL plastic vial After stirring using a VWR Analog Vortex mixer for 35 min, the extract was decanted into another vial. The experiment was designed to take place during school holidays July to ensure a large and diverse number of participants, and was carried out over 3 days.

The container was closed and the lid secured to the canister with a small metal screw not included in the original container to prevent the visitors from opening it. When the container was closed, the book aroma was detectable by the human nose from around a 7—10 cm distance from top of the canister.

The container was labeled with a letter and no indication was given, verbally or visually, about the nature of the smell. A panel of seven untrained assessors were briefed to abstain from the use of scented products and from eating 30 min prior to the experiment, and to reveal any circumstances that might affect their sense of smell, such as a cold.

The protocol also advised rating the perceived strength of the library smell as soon as assessors entered the space, to prevent olfactory adaptation a decrease in sensitivity after a period of exposure. Although the effect of verbal cues on odour classification, as described in 2. As part of the evaluation, the assessors were asked to also rate odour intensity and hedonic tone against the scales outlined by German Standard VDI [ 70 ] Additional files 1 , 2.

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