Benchmark 5 Dye Facts
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When the sea route to India opened up around the year 1498, indigo dye became a commercial force
10) "William Henry Perkin." Science History Institute, 11 Jan. 2018, www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/william-henry-perkin.
While attempting to produce quinine, William Henry Perkin serendipitously synthesized mauve, the earliest synthetic dye.
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William Henry Perkin invented synthetic indigo dye through a failed experiment in trying to make synthetic quinine, which was a chemical used to treat malaria
6) Roberts, Mike. "Woad." History of Woad in Europe by Teresinha Roberts, 18 Jan. 2018, www.woad.org.uk/html/europe.html.
Woad was a plant used to create natural indigo dye
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Woad was cultivated in Germany and France by 800 AD
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Woad was used a lot by the ancient Egyptians, it was even found in the wrappings of mummies
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Romans used indigo to paint for cosmetics and medicinal purposes
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Solid evidence that dyeing methods are more than 4,000 years old has been provided by dyed fabrics found in Egyptian tombs.
9) "The Evolution of Textile Dyes: History and Development." KeyColour, 12 Jan. 2016, www.keycolour.net/blog/the-evolution-of-textile-dyes-history-and-development/.
Some evidence show that textile dyeing dates back as early as the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age, which took place around 10,200 BCE.
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Studies of these dyes in the 1800s provided a base for the development of synthetic dyes, which dominated the market by 1900.
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Synthetic indigo dye was the first synthetic dye ever created, so Perkin's mistake sparked the start of the making of the synthetic dyes that are now used in our clothes today
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The Industrial Revolution led to the growth of the textile industry, which also spurred the increase in demand for dyes that are cost-effective, readily available and easy to apply, which were synthetic indigo dyes.
3) "Indigo in the Early Modern World." University Libraries, www.lib.umn.edu/bell/tradeproducts/indigo.
The color indigo is often times associated with political power or religious practice or ritual
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The dye is typically extracted through the leaves of the plant and is then put through a process of fermentation
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The earliest known examples of indigo in the Americas were a mere 2,500 years old.
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The most popular plant used to create indigo dye is indigofera
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The oldest known dyed fabrics were Egyptian textiles with indigo-dyed bands from the Fifth Dynasty, roughly 2400 BC.
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The plant used to make natural indigo dye (indigofera genus) is a leguminous plant
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The synthetic indigo is a more permanent dye than natural indigo dye
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The woad plant originated in Turkey and the Middle East, and eventually spread to Europe
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Until the 1850s virtually all dyes were obtained from natural sources, most commonly from vegetables, such as plants, trees, and lichens, with a few from insects.
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During the Medieval times woad was used throughout Europe
8) Stothers, J.B., and Edward Noah Abrahart. "Dye." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Mar. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/dye.
Dye is a substance used to impart color to textiles, paper, leather, and other materials .
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Egyptians extracted high-quality indigo from sea snails.
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Europeans would plant large plantations in tropical places like Jamaica and the Virgin Islands and have African american slaves that worked on them
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Fabric does not immediately turn blue when being dyes, but rather starts out as a greenish color and turns blue through exposure to air
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Henry Perkin originally named his discovery "mauveine"
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Henry invented synthetic dye in 1856, during Easter vacation from London's Royal College of Chemistry when he was 18.
5) Resnick, Brian. "How 18-Year-Old William Henry Perkin Accidentally Discovered the First Synthetic Dye." Vox, Vox, 12 Mar. 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/3/12/17109258/sir-william-henry-perkin-google-doodle-birthday-180-mauveine-purple-dye.
In 1856 synthetic dye was invented through an accidental experiment
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In 1857, Perkins opened his factory for synthetic dye at Greenford Green, not far from London.
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In 1906 the Society of Chemical Industry created the Perkin Medal to commemorate the discovery of mauve and awarded the first medal to its namesake at a banquet in his honor.
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In Indonesia only women are able to partake in the creation of indigo dye, although sometimes exception are made for homosexual men
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In parts of Indonesia the process of creating indigo dye is considered sacred
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India was one of the earliest places where there was production and processing of the natural indigo dye
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Indigo can be used to dye many materials such as linen, silk, wool, leather feathers and even wicker or shells
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Indigo can provide fertilizer once it is composted
7) Sidder, Aaron. "Earliest Evidence of Indigo Dye Found at Ancient Peruvian Burial Site." Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 15 Sept. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earliest-evidence-indigo-dye-found-ancient-peruvian-burial-site-180960477/.
Archaeologists recently uncovered several scraps of indigo-dyed fabric at the Huaca Prieta ceremonial mound in northern Peru, which is believed to be around 6,200 years old
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Around 450 B.C.E. caravans from the far east would transport indigo to places like Cyprus, Alexandria, and Baghdad
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At some points in the seventeenth century indigo dye was the most valuable import from Europe
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At the age of 36, sold his business so that he could devote himself entirely to research.
1) "Blue Gold: What Is Indigo Dye And Why Is It Good For The Environment?" MOCHNI Ethical Fashion Inspiration, 21 Aug. 2017, www.mochni.com/blue-gold-what-is-indigo-dye-and-why-is-it-good-for-the-environment/.
Indigo dye is sold as a blue crystalline powder
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Indigo dye was derived from the leaves of dyer's woad herb, isatis tinctoria, and from the indigo plant, indigofera tinctoria.
4) "Indigo: History and Present Days of This Magical Blue Dye." Amberoot, 4 Mar.2018, www.amberoot.com/indigo-history-present-days-magical-blue-dye.
Indigo is believed to be the world's oldest dye
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Indigo is the oldest known natural dye.
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Indigo was the first dye used to color blue jeans
2) "History of Indigo - Blue of Blue Jeans." History of Indigo - Developments of Indigo Dyeing, www.historyofjeans.com/jeans-history/history-of-indigo/.
Indigofera tinctoria is native to India
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Most dyes are organic compounds (i.e., they contain carbon)
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Most natural dyes warranted the use of mordants in order for the color to stick to different materials, fabric, or textile.
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Natural indigo dye is sustainable because the plant it comes from, once the pigment is extracted, all of the water used for that can be put onto other plants
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the cotton and indigo dye domesticated by the people of South America and Mesoamerica form the basis of the cotton we wear today