Rebecca Suerdieck is a Living Historian and Educator on many Subjects. She enjoys exploring the different aspects of her Research with self-initiated Projects. To accompany the Primary Sources she scours for information, she also takes it upon herself to actually DO what she reads about. These Projects have included exploring the many Domestic Skills that were known by the first English Women in Virginia. 

 

   As a former Rare Books Librarian, Rebecca became aware of Receipt Books from the 17th, 18th and 19th century. In these ancient books and handwritten collections, she discovered an untapped world of perfume history and instructions on how to distill flora. During her free time, she explored these books and manuscripts and devoted herself to recreating these scents. 

 

   As she continued to study Historic Perfume Making, she discovered that many famous people of history were also closely associated with particular scents. For example, Dolley Madison was very fond of Rose. She planted the Rose Garden at the White House and distilled her own fragrances. Marie Antoinette employed a Personal Perfumer who created a custom scent from African Violets, the most expensive Perfume ever made. Rebecca's research has expanded into researching and recreating these fragrances, plus those worn by George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Thomas Jefferson.

   She continues her studies in the Art of Perfumery and is pursuing an Advance Degree in Natural and Antiquarian Perfume.