Can a drop of perfume tell the story of the twentieth century? Can a smell bear the traces of
history? What can we learn about the history of the twentieth century by examining the fate of
perfumes? In this remarkable book Karl Schlögel unravels the interconnected histories of two
of the world's most celebrated perfumes. In tsarist Russia two French perfumers - Ernest Beaux
and Auguste Michel - developed related fragrances honouring Catherine the Great for the 300th
anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. During the Russian Revolution and Civil War Beaux fled
Russia and took the formula for his perfume with him to France where he sought to adapt it to
his new French circumstances. He presented Coco Chanel with a series of ten fragrance samples
in his laboratory and after smelling each she chose number five - the scent that would later
go by the name Chanel No. 5. Meanwhile as the perfume industry was being revived in Soviet
Russia Auguste Michel used his original fragrance to create Red Moscow for the tenth
anniversary of the Revolution. Piecing together the intertwined histories of these two famous
perfumes which shared a common origin Schlögel tells a surprising story of power intrigue
and betrayal that offers an altogether unique perspective on the turbulent events and high
politics of the twentieth century. This brilliant account of perfume and politics in
twentieth-century Europe will be of interest to a wide general readership.
