Odors give way to fragrance in 19th century
Posted : 2021-05-08 11:31
By Robert Neff
An excellent book about Korean fauna is Flowers and Folklore from Korea by Lorence-Hedleston Crane. Courtesy of Diane Nars CollectionIn the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the descriptions of Seoul were filled with complaints of streets packed with oxen, ponies and people all trying to avoid falling into the open sewers or stepping in the excrement of man and beast, and the fetid stench that seemed to hang in the smoke-filled air. While there may have been some truth to these descriptions, there were also very positive descriptions by more objective observers ― those who were willing to open their eyes (and nose) to the positive things: