Timeless Roses and Modern Technology
Photo of machine
The olfactory display unit was created by James Covington, Professor of Electronic Engineering at the University of Warwick.
The outer casing was made by the School of Engineering carpenter, Iain Brown, completely by hand. We have taken care to use recycled materials where possible: the teak used in its construction comes from Engineering’s old laboratory benches from the 1960s and 70s. While the olfactory technology within the cabinet is modern, the display’s outer casing remains loyal to the atmosphere of this beautiful historical room.
If you want to find out more about the innovative technology that’s inside, click here.
In the physical exhibition you can press the four buttons on the machine, from left to right, one by one, to release four different rose perfumes. After you press each button, you need to wait 10 seconds for the scent to be released and for it to dissipate.
If you would like to recreate the experience at home, our partners at Floris are offering patrons a 10% discount when they sign up to receive exclusive updates and promotions. You can order small samples of 'White Rose', 'Rose for ...' and the Rose Mouthwash. Or you can visit their shop at 89 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6JH, and ask to smell all the scents in order!
While these perfumes are modern creations, the blends are deeply rooted in historical perfumery. They have been created by FLORIS, the oldest perfumer in the UK which is still family-owned. Floris Perfumers was founded in 1730 by Juan Famenias Floris and his wife Elizabeth. The Floris shop they opened at 89 Jermyn Street, London, is still there today, and it has always been in the hands of Juan and Elizabeth’s descendants.
The first perfume is called ‘White Rose’, created at the Jermyn Street shop by John Floris in the early 1800s, and reintroduced in 2004. Devoted wearers of the fragrance have included Florence Nightingale and Lord Nelson’s mistress Lady Hamilton. Discover a bouquet of velvet roses, sparkling with an unexpected splash of cool iris, wrapped in warm amber and rich, earthy musk.
The second one is ‘Red Rose’. Created in 1807, Red Rose is the definitive clear and true rose scent. Red Rose opens with sparkling leafy green notes, then blooms with the warmth of cinnamon leaf and clove bud intertwined with the delicate embrace of palmarosa, with essence of Rose Absolute at its heart. It has base notes of vetiver, cedarwood and sandalwood and the sensuous depth of musk.
With the third scent, ‘Rose Geranium’, you will feel a burst of green vitality. This was first introduced by Floris in 1890 when pink geranium was added to the existing geranium fragrance. A receipt exists in the Floris archives for Marilyn Monroe, who ordered six bottles of Floris Rose Geranium eau de toilette in 1959 to be sent to the Beverly Hills Hotel in California, where Monroe stayed after filming one of her most famous movies, Some Like It Hot. Notes of geranium are enhanced by the fresh citrus nuances of citronella and a hint of rose, and a heart with an uplifting blend of palmarosa, the timeless beauty of rose and the gentle touch of rosewood finishes on a simple woody base note of cedarwood.
Finally, ‘A Rose for...’, named for you, by you, was created in 2018 following a visit to the rose fields of Morocco by Edward Bodenham, the 9th generation of the Floris family. Showing how the rose can interpret the identity of its natural surroundings, this classic perfume has warmth, ardour and elegant splendour. The intensity of rose is mixed with notes of spice, orris and woods. The heart has red rose delicately wrapped in incense, oud and orris, with a finish of warm woody notes of patchouli, sandalwood and amber.