Anachronism, Olfaction and “Scarce Memorability” of Travelling Whale Exhibits

Abstract This article examines the cultural and psycho-social dynamics of remembrance of travelling whale exhibits in Europe as a case of “scarce memorability”. Drawing on Ann Rigney’s concept of differential memory and Georges Didi-Huberman’s theory of anachronistic survivals of defunct cultural formations, it postulates the importance of olfactory sensorium in environmental memory studies. The analysis focuses on what was likely Europe’s last case of itinerant whale exhibitions (1950s–1960s), juxtaposing their personal memory narratives (including references to olfactory sensations) and their overall ‘scarce’ registration in collective memory. The concept of ‘anachronism’ highlights the exhibits’ preservation of defunct cultural meanings (alongside their preservation of decaying cetacean corpses!) against the backdrop of new social and political contexts of environmental awareness and anti-whaling. The study considers the ‘scarce memorability’ of itinerant whales in collective social remembrance, while arguing for greater consideration of olfaction in memory studies.