PRESS RELEASE: The HCC x The Met "Seneca" Candle

The Harlem Candle Company Launches Collaboration with The Met Store
in Celebration of Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room

October 25, 2021, New York, NY: Today, The Harlem Candle Company announced the launch of a special collaboration with The Met Store in celebration of Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room opening at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 5, 2021. This exclusive collaboration engages with themes of past, present, and future, with a goal of inspiring audiences to learn more about Afrofuturism and the history of Seneca Village. Seneca Village was a vibrant community founded by free black tenants that flourished from the 1820’s to the 1850’s until the City of New York seized the land to construct Central Park. 

Fueled by the African belief that the past, present and future are interconnected, the exhibition reimagines Seneca Village in the immersive form of a 19th century domestic interior through sound, storytelling, and a myriad of objects from The Met’s collection. Conceptualized in partnership with perfumer Catherine Selig, the Harlem Candle Company and The Met collaborated to develop a signature luxury candle called “Seneca” inspired by the sensory experience for the Before Yesterday We Could Fly exhibition. The scent is designed to transport you to an exuberant Seneca Village kitchen with notes of spiced black tea and incense, and it is sold exclusively at The Met Store, online at store.metmuseum.org, and on harlemcandlecompany.com.

The HCC x The Met "Seneca" Candle

“When The Met approached me about creating a candle commemorating the life and the people of Seneca Village, I was honored and excited for this challenge,” says Harlem Candle Co. Founder Teri Johnson. “I spent countless hours reading and researching what life was like in this five-acre community in the middle to late 1800s between 82nd and 89th street in what is modern day Central Park. Catherine and I knew we could create something truly unique to Seneca Village incorporating fragrance notes of ancient black tea, cedarleaf, and incense, as well as modern day notes of concrete and vetiver.”   

A noteworthy detail about this exclusive candle is the packaging. The “Seneca” candle comes in a black box with the signature Harlem Candle Co. “H” adorned throughout and features the vintage nightclub map of Harlem illustrated by E. Simms Campbell on the interior.  This design element makes the box a real keepsake.

Download high res images here from dropbox.

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store: Located inside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world's largest and finest art museums, the Met Store features unique museum gifts and reproductions all inspired by The Met’s collections. These collections include more than two million works of art spanning 5,000 years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe.

About Harlem Candle Company: The Harlem Candle Co. is a luxury home fragrance brand specializing in scented candles inspired by the richness of Harlem.  Founded in 2014 by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson, the Harlem Candle Company is the manifestation of her love affair with fragrance, jazz, and Harlem.  Each candle is specially handcrafted using top grade soy blend wax and infused with one of a kind fragrance oils designed by a team of globally recognized expert perfumers.

Like music, the top, middle, and base notes of each Harlem candle tell a story while taking you on an olfactory journey through time and place.  Drawing on inspiration from legends like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, the subtle scents and soft glows from Harlem candles instantly enhance your space while creating a sense of comfort and luxury.