Scents have a tendency to evoke past memories of forgotten places and people. But this feeling is usually fleeting, as it seems impossible to physically preserve a certain smell.

University of the Arts London student Amy Radcliffe has designed an analogue device that enables users to capture scents. Madeleine contraption consists of two parts: a glass dome and a ceramic vacuum, with a trap and a filter attached to it. Once a fragrance is isolated inside the dome, air is pumped through a trap, allowing its molecules to be absorbed into the resin. The filter is then submitted for analysis, and the chemical makeup of the scent is decoded. It can then be turned into a liquid fragrance that replicates the smell.

Using Amy’s low-tech and elegant device, fleeting combination of scents can be captured and collected, much like photos. Madeleine was presented at Tom Dixon’s Most Fair at Milan Design Week.