Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-04

"A T AOf1IA 'ION, April zS.--lS your nose
wv educated? Can you tell, for instance
the difference between lavender and
garlic with your eyes shut? If not, you had
better begin to give your nose daily setting
up exercises, for the long neglected sense of
smell is coming into its own.
Perfume concerts are the latest contribu-
tion Of science to aestheticism, and persons
who have always depended largely on con-
vent1on to tell them what to like and dislike
in the category of scents are said to be at a
loss when turned loose among futuristic per-
fume harmonies.
The perfume concert is a recent scientific
experiment. 1t has long been held by some
scientists that harmonies of color scent, or
tastes, are as capable of giving aesthetic
pleasure as harmonies Of sound. If we en-
joy a series of musical chords, they reasoned,
why should we not enjoy serie: of perfume
harmonies, or a ~eries of blended coIors! A
dress or painting may be beautiful by rea-
son of it's colors alone. But both color and
perfume have always been made to serve as
accessories. They have been ignored as
aesthetic stimula--ts. Yet both can be fixed
IN scale, harmonious or clashing chords and
sequences can be evolved, just as in music.
This, in general way is the theory OF the
scientists who have experimental with per-
fume and color!
So far as t4ste goes, it will be remembered
that Huysmans in one of his novels. describes
a liquor organ. This was made up of a
scale of liquors in glasses, and combinations
V ere formed and tasted by the operator. The
symphony of taste would seem to be a more
far-fetched than the concert of color
scent. 1t is especially far-fetched now in
this country, for few aesthetics would be able
t. rig out complete set of liquid notes for
an organ. /.
Scale of Soft Stuff.
More practicable, perhaps, would be soda
fountain organ, with a scale running from
tO no ic hat
one sample at time of the soda clerks
SKI at harmonies is enough fC- most people,
A complete symphony, consisting of sue
cession of allegros, adagios, college delights
and cherry whoops would knock almost any
patron of the arts into transports of indiges-
ton. The American stor'ach will have to
be siren gtheneu before the American sense of
.~O.e can be very much developed to appr4-
ciate the soft drink concert.
The color organ presents fewer difficult
ties. At least, it offers no internal danger to
those 5tins delights. 1t been used
for some time as an lL.--~~--.-e, AOvelty.
The score for color composition is gen
orally written in advance, and the colors are
projected on screen in the com b1nat1ons
and order TIL the score directs. The con-
cert is produced by an operator at an organ
like instrument with a keyboard, and stops
which control different light rays.
Almost any one who is not color blind or
who is not entirely devoid of a feeling for
beauty can get some pleasure from simple
color concert, it is claimed. Very subtle har-
monies require Il more sensitive audience. or
course, at any color performance the person
who is critic and lover of colors can get
much more out of the display than person
who is Indifferent to the appeal of the spec
trum.
Civilized man is .sed tc depending on his
eyes for information moro than on his ears,
nose, or fingers For that reason, at least
the color organ has a chance for popularity.
When it comes to the neglected nose, it seems
likely that at first only few sensitive
souls will be able to enjoy fully the subtle
ties of a perfume concert.
A perfume scale has been fixed by DR..
Septimus Piesse, a French chemist. He uses
delicate and pungent scents for the high
notes and the heavy scents for low notes.
Though few of the odors of his scale are not
familiar to the layman, most of them are;
so we quote the plan of the perfume key
board.
Patchouli to Civet
Starting with the bass clef, three octaves
below middle C: do, patchouli; re, vanilla;
mi, Glove bark; fa benzoin; sol, frangipane;
Ia, storax; ST. Glove; do, sandalwood; re,
ciematis; mi, rattan; ia, castoreum; sol,
pergulafre; la, balsam of Peru; 81, carna-
tion do, geranium; re, heliotrope; mi, iris
ia, musk; sol, pos de sonteur; la, balsam Of
Tolu; ST. cinnamon; do, rose.
Rose corresponds to middle C. The treble
rises with re, violet; mi cassia; ia, tuberose;
sol, orange flowers; la, newmown hay; 81,
aurone; do, camphor; re, almond; mi, Portu-
gal; ia, jonquil; SOL syringa; la, tonka beam
ST, mint; do jassamine re, bergamot; mi,
citron; ia ambergris SOL magnolia; la, law
ender; 81, peppermint do, pineapple; re,
citronel; mi, vervain; ia Give.
From this keyboard the skilled perfumer
can draw harmonies by combining the es-
sences into chords for the delectation of his
audience.