What did Napoleon smell like? How many pairs of scented gloves did Marie Antoinette get through a month? And how did the study of perfume become the study of life itself in the 19th century?

Kate is joined by Theresa Levitt for this episode to find out about the world of the Parisian perfumiers Laugier and Laurent. Theresa is the author of Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior producer: Charlotte Long. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.