The idea that sight is the most important sense of the modern era was particularly argued by philosopher Michel Foucault. The development of sensory history has also been influenced by other academic disciplines, such as philosophy and anthropology. Karl Marx drew attention to the possibility of sensory history in The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, in which he stated that 'the forming of the five senses is a labour of the entire history of the world down to the present.' In 1942 Lucien Febvre, a French historian and one of the founders of the Annales School, called for the history of sensibilities to be examined and so is credited as one of the first historians to consider the senses as a legitimate historical field of study. This challenge is reflected in debate within the field, such as what methods of presentation are appropriate for works of sensory history. The transient nature of sensory experience makes sensory history a difficult topic to study and write about.

Anthropological approaches to sensory studies have had a notable influence on sensory history and there has been significant discussion and overlap between the two disciplines. One of the most significant proponents of sensory history is the American historian Mark M. Works of sensory history try to convey a deeper understanding of the past through an emphasis on physical experiences.

It developed partly as a reaction to the lack of serious attention given to sensory experience in traditional history books, which often treat sensory experience as a writing technique rather than a serious avenue of enquiry. Sensory history is an area of academic study which examines the role the five senses have played in the past. Five people, each exercising one of the five senses.

Aroma by Constance Classen