You read that right. 

Michelle Krell Kydd, the "Nose of Ann Arbor" and editor of the award-winning blog Glass Petal Smoke, came to the Kelsey Museum and sniffed our animal mummies. In a recent article on All About Ann Arbor, Michelle revealed her findings: "Mummies don't smell like decomposition, but they don't smell like Chanel No. 5 either." Michelle examined and smell-tested the mummies of two birds in Kelsey Museum storage in research for her project.

After her visit to the Kelsey, Michelle was inspired to create "Simulacra of Mummy," a scent that features the natural extracts commonly used by the ancient Egyptians in mummification. Interested in taking a whiff? Catch her on November 14th at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, where she will lead a Smell & Tell discussion of the perfumes and aromatics used in mummification.