Lance Carson
A perfume organ is a tool used by perfumers to organise their fragrant materials. The organ is traditionally a semi-circular desk with stepped, curved shelves that hold bottles of raw materials. Each perfumer's organ is unique to them, with the size, shape, groupings, and materials changing over time. The language of perfumery often follows that of music, with fragrances having many layers and facets created from individual 'notes'. The perfume organ is said to have come from a chemical laboratory in the early nineteenth century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A perfumer's organ is a tool that helps perfumers organize their fragrant materials and create new fragrances. |
| Structure | A traditional perfumer's organ consists of a semi-circular desk with stepped, curved shelves above, which hold bottles of raw materials. |
| Function | Perfumers use their organs to separate oils between top, middle, and bottom notes, creating fragrance symphonies with various layers and facets. |
| Customization | Each perfumer's organ is unique and can be customized to suit their creative process. The size, shape, groupings, and materials used may vary depending on the perfumer's preferences and available space. |
| Exploration | Organs serve as a place for exploration and discovery, where perfumers can experiment with different combinations of familiar and unfamiliar materials to create new fragrances. |
| Raw Materials | Perfumers have a wide range of natural, synthetic, and uniquely constructed raw materials to choose from, allowing them to create signature scents. |
| Evolution | While traditional compounding is less common today, perfumers still use physical organs as a space to reference, dream, play, and create. |
| Similarities to Music | The language of perfumery borrows from music, with terms like "notes," "accords," and "compositions." The creation of perfume involves layering and combining different scents, similar to composing music. |
| Historical References | The concept of a perfume organ has a long history, with references in literature as early as the 19th century. The first actual use of a "smell organ" in a public performance was around 1900. |
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What You'll Learn
The structure and organisation of a perfume organ
A perfume organ is a tool used by perfumers to organise their fragrant materials and create new fragrances. The structure and organisation of a perfume organ are unique to each perfumer and can vary depending on their creative process, available space, and the materials they use.
Traditionally, a perfume organ consists of a semi-circular desk with stepped, curved shelves above, holding bottles of raw materials. The shelves are often tiered, allowing perfumers to organise their materials by note or longevity. The top notes may include bergamot, bitter orange, pink grapefruit, black pepper, rosewood, and mimosa, while middle or heart notes may include rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang.
Perfumers may organise their materials according to their properties or how they fit into their creative ideas. For example, Hans Hendley of Hendley Perfumes groups his materials, both natural and man-made, into clusters that make sense to him based on their functions or potential use in his compositions. He also pre-dilutes his materials in alcohol to better evaluate their concentrations for the final perfume.
The size and shape of a perfume organ can vary depending on the space available. For instance, a perfumer working in a small space in a New York apartment may have a more compact organ, while another with more space may have a larger and more expansive version. The organ may also evolve over time as the perfumer's needs and processes change.
In addition to the physical organisation of the perfume organ, the creative process involves exploring and experimenting with different combinations of fragrances. Perfumers may use their organs as a space for reference, dreaming, playing, and creating new fragrances by pairing familiar materials with unfamiliar ones to discover new synergies and effects. This exploration allows perfumers to expand their understanding of raw materials and inspire new creations.
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The evolution of perfume organs
The concept of a perfume organ has evolved significantly over time, from early imaginings of scent symphonies to the modern-day use of computers in perfume creation. The idea of a perfume organ, or smell organ, is often attributed to the 19th century, with the notion of scented harmonies being mentioned in literary and medical texts during this period. The perfumer George William Septimius Piesse, who studied chemistry at University College London, is credited with making the relationship between musical notes and individual scents explicit in the first edition of his 1855 book "The Art of Perfumery".
In the 1862 edition of his book, Piesse expanded on the concept of smell octaves and harmonies, including an illustration of the "Gamut of Odours". This illustration featured two sheet music diagrams, with instructions for the perfumer to combine certain odours to create a harmonious perfume. Literary texts and visual satires of the time further developed the idea of smell organs, imagining machines that could play scent to audiences. For instance, in 1879, Lasswitz envisioned the development of a smell piano, predicting that it would first be exhibited as a curiosity before finding its way into private homes.
The first example of a smell organ being put into practice was in 1900, two years before Sadakichi Hartmann debuted his perfume concert in New York. In 1922, an article in "Science and Invention" magazine featured a new, silent take on the perfume organ, with keys on a keyboard that played notes of perfume instead of music.
Today, the traditional perfume organ is no longer used for compounding, but it still serves as a space for perfumers to explore, reference, dream, and create. Each perfumer's organ is unique, reflecting their favoured raw materials and individual style. While some perfumers may still have physical organs with bottles of raw materials, the process of compounding is now often done by a complex machine connected to a perfumer's computer. Additionally, analytical smelling techniques and olfactory training methods, influenced by perfumers like Jean Carles, have further refined the process of perfume creation.
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The role of the perfumer's organ in the creative process
The perfumer's organ is an invaluable tool for perfumers, adding structure, order, and organisation to the creative process of fragrance-making. It is a physical space where perfumers can reference, dream, play, and create. Each perfumer's organ is unique, reflecting the individual's favoured raw materials and creative process. The organ is a highly personal workspace, with perfumers customising and arranging their materials in ways that best serve their creative journey.
The organ typically consists of shelves or clusters that hold bottles of raw materials, organised by note or longevity. These notes, either individual raw materials or a synergy of two or three, create the character of the fragrance. For instance, Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. organises her materials using tiered spice shelves, with top notes like bergamot and bitter orange, middle or heart notes like rose and jasmine, and base notes. The organ provides a visual representation of the fragrance's structure, allowing perfumers to experiment with different combinations of notes to create unique accords or blends.
The perfumer's organ serves as a space for exploration and discovery. When faced with a challenging client brief, perfumers can turn to their organ to explore new possibilities. They can dip into different bottles, pairing familiar materials with unfamiliar ones, and discover unexpected synergies that inspire new creations. This process of experimentation is integral to the art of perfumery, allowing perfumers to push the boundaries of their craft.
While technology has advanced, and much of the compounding is now done by machines, the perfumer's organ remains a cherished fixture in fragrance houses. It symbolises the artistry and craftsmanship inherent in perfumery, providing a tangible connection to the rich history of the sense. The organ is a testament to the creative process, where the perfumer's intuition, experience, and imagination come together to craft olfactory masterpieces.
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The similarities between music and perfume
The creation of perfume and music has several similarities. The language of perfumery, for instance, borrows heavily from music. In both art forms, we refer to 'notes', which in the case of perfume, are the individual raw materials or a synergy of two or three raw materials. These notes are blended to create 'accords', which are a larger representation of the fragrance character. For example, notes of rose and jasmine create a floral accord.
Both music and perfume are layered and multifaceted, and they evolve over time. Perfumers, like composers, tend to have their own moniker, often due to their favoured raw materials that they use as a signature throughout their creations. Each perfumer has a unique collection of raw materials, and their perfume organ is set up to suit their creative process. Just as composers use score paper to record their notes, perfumers use their organs to create, reference, dream, and play.
The perfume organ is a tool that adds structure, order, and organisation to the inherently creative process of making perfume. It is a semi-circular desk with stepped, curved shelves that hold bottles of raw materials. The perfumer weighs these raw materials individually into a glass beaker in the centre of the organ. The raw materials are organised by note or longevity, with top notes of bergamot, bitter orange, or pink grapefruit, for example, and middle or heart notes of rose or jasmine.
The idea of the perfume organ has a long history, with one of the earliest mentions of a 'smell organ' or 'odour piano' appearing in Kurd Lasswitz's 1879 novel, set in the year 2371. In the novel, the protagonist Aromasia plays a new musical instrument known as the 'Ododion', which emits a range of odours when played. In 1900, Sadakichi Hartmann debuted a 'perfume concert' in New York, and in 1922, an article in Science and Invention magazine described a new, silent perfume organ, where the keys on the keyboard played only notes of perfume.
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The use of natural and man-made materials in perfume organs
A perfume organ is a way for perfumers to organise their fragrant materials, separating oils into top, middle, and base notes. The top, middle, and base notes are then used to create a fragrance pyramid, with the base and middle notes forming the main theme of a perfume.
Natural materials used in perfume organs include flowers, grasses, spices, fruit, wood, roots, resins, balsams, leaves, gums, and animal secretions. Resins, in particular, have been valued since antiquity for their highly fragrant and antiseptic properties and have been used in medicines for a variety of ailments. Commonly used resins in perfumery include labdanum, frankincense/olibanum, myrrh, balsam of Peru, and benzoin. Other natural materials used in perfumery include iris rhizomes, vetiver roots, ginger rhizomes, and various seeds such as tonka bean, carrot seed, coriander, and cardamom. Natural odorants are extracted from raw materials using various methods.
Man-made materials used in perfume organs include synthetic aromatics, which are created by a relatively small number of companies. Synthetic odorants are produced through organic synthesis and purified. Synthetic fragrances are usually derived from petroleum or are chemically modified from natural substances. Synthetic musks, for example, are often added to laundry detergents to give clothes a lasting "clean" scent. Other man-made ingredients used in perfumery include alcohol, petrochemicals, coal, and coal tars.
The use of man-made materials in perfumery has allowed for the mass marketing of perfumes, with the first synthetic perfume, nitrobenzene, being made from nitric acid and benzene. Modern perfumery relies heavily on synthetic ingredients for their versatility, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. However, it is important to note that there are also regulations in place for the use of certain materials in perfumes, such as the listing of recognised fragrance allergens.
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Frequently asked questions
A perfume organ is a tool used by perfumers to organise their fragrant materials and create new fragrances. It is a semi-circular desk with stepped, curved shelves that hold bottles of raw materials.
Fragrance notes are individual raw materials or a synergy of two or three raw materials that give a perfume its character. For example, notes of rose and jasmine can combine to create a floral accord.
Each perfumer's organ is unique to them and they can customise it to suit their creative process. They might organise their materials by note or longevity, with top notes like bergamot and bitter orange, middle or heart notes like rose, and base notes like ylang-ylang.
