Berkeley Perfumer Mandy Aftel on the 'Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance'

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2024

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“You don’t just smell an aroma; you fall into it,” writes artisan perfumer Mandy Aftel. And entering her exquisite small museum, the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents, tucked into a backyard in Berkeley, is to fall into an ancient, mysterious world. Amid centuries-old books, bottles and curios are natural fragrances that come from the secretions of civets and the bowels of sperm whales, as well as from resins, rare flowers, roots and so much more. We talk to Aftel about her collection, the art of building a fragrance, and her new book, “The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance”. Guests: Mandy Aftel, artisan perfumer and founder, Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents in Berkeley; author, "The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KQED podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport.
0:05.0	Did you know that SFO has a world-class museum?
0:07.9	Get ready to be wowed by art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions throughout the terminals.
0:14.0	Learn more at flysfo.com slash museum.
0:18.6	Support for forum comes from Broadway SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story.
0:25.9	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:32.5	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime,
0:39.2	it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion. The riveting
0:47.1	and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through
0:53.0	June 8th. Tickets on sale now at Broadwaysf.com.
0:59.5	From KQED.
1:00.9	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:15.6	This morning we bring you a deeply Bay Area story, maybe an only in the Bay Area story.
1:21.6	Mandy Ftel is a natural perfumer who's been called the Alice Waters of perfume.
1:26.6	That's because she works around the corner from Shei Panisse and more importantly only works
1:30.8	with natural ingredients.
1:32.7	Frankenense, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Sivet.
1:36.0	She forged a profound new understanding of this art that runs deep in every culture stretching
1:40.2	back before civilization.
1:42.3	Over the years she developed a devoted following no less a star than Leonard Cohen called her the great alchemist.
1:48.4	You can visit her tiny museum in Berkeley and smell raw materials from all over the world,
1:52.7	and we'll take a virtual tour right after this news.
	...

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