Foedraal horende bij een riem before 1860

This is a container for an electro-aromatic belt, designed by Alphonse L.E. Mosselman. The belt claims to protect against sea sickness, and while we don't have a date for this item, it likely emerged during an era marked by significant maritime travel and exploration. Consider the narratives of those who traversed the seas: merchants, colonizers, migrants, and those displaced by slavery. This belt represents an attempt to commodify a solution to a common ailment, sea sickness. Who was this product marketed to? Was it accessible to all social classes, or was it another luxury afforded only to the wealthy? The claim of being ‘electro-aromatic’ is fascinating too. It speaks to a time when science and quackery often blurred, promising relief through means we might now consider dubious. What fears and hopes did this object embody? And how does it connect to our present-day anxieties around health, technology, and well-being?