A PODCAST FROM IMMORTAL PERFUMES

The Scent

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Curious histories, bottled

EP 02 - APRIL 29, 2026

THE DOCTOR AND THE ATOMIZER

How a Civil War veteran in Toledo accidentally invented the perfume atomizer

Dr. Allen DeVilbiss was sick of shoving goose grease down his patients' throats to treat infections. So he built the first atomizer in his Toledo shed from an oil can and a rubber ball. His son Thomas turned this medical device into Art Deco masterpieces that would change how America wore perfume.

YOUR HOST

JT Siems

PERFUME HISTORIAN · EDUCATOR · WRITER

JT Siems is the founder of Immortal Perfumes, a Seattle-based literary micro-perfumery. Obsessed with history, she is a perfume historian, educator, writer, and international award-winning perfumer.

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SARAH WINNEMUCCA: NATIVE ACTIVIST &amp; AUTHOR</a>
Historical Ladies JT Siems Historical Ladies JT Siems

SARAH WINNEMUCCA: NATIVE ACTIVIST & AUTHOR

It’s Native American Heritage Day! For today’s episode, I’ll be shining a light on an important Native woman in Nevada history: Sarah Winnemucca. She was the first Native woman to write an autobiography and traveled around the US on a lecture tour educating and protesting the plight of her people. Take a listen and get inspired, then research the tribes indigenous to your area. There is fascinating history all around us.

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