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The Smell Brings it Back

This work is based on interviews with women who gave birth at the old Dee Street Maternity Hospital, former Queen Victoria Hospital, in the 1960s and 70s. Their memories offer a glimpse into what birth was like at the time.

One woman recalled being given castor oil mixed with orange juice. “The smell brings it back,” she said. The title of the video work refers to this moment, linking memory to the body, smell, and place.

Their stories describe a structured and often isolating system. Women had little control over how they gave birth. Still, they speak without resentment: “They looked after me very well.” “It was just the way things were done back then.”

Movements like holding on, letting go, pushing, and seeking comfort take shape along the exterior walls of the former hospital. These gestures sit in dialogue with original interview excerpts, shown as subtitles. Together, they reflect on how past experiences linger in both bodies and buildings.

The Smell Brings it Back
Nela Fletcher
2025
Single Channel HD Video
Audio
Subtitles
Duration 5:38
Size variable