Historically US municipalities asked professional and amateur "sanitarians" to document areas pertaining to the health of a community during the Industrial Era. These groups were called many things, including Smelling Committees. They created a living description of the olfactory ephemera produced by rendering plants, factories, and other industrial sites. This contemporary Smelling Committee was inspired by that tradition. Participants were asked to take a 2.5 hour walk around the buffers of Shoreham Yards. They were mailed a badge, map, invitation letter, fact sheet, and Smelling Request Form to fill out about emotional, nervous system and olfactory experiences. Some people walked in groups, others alone. All experienced the complexity of a place that is both polluted, harsh and industrial, but at points rich in diversity, calm, and almost beautiful.
