Weekend Review: The Rarest Blue

The Rarest Blue / Baruch Sterman & Judy Taubes Sterman
Guildford, CT: Lyons Press, c2012
305 p.

This book is a mix of ancient history tracing the path of Murex dyes across the centuries, a scientific treatise of dye and colour perception, and specific tiny points of Jewish law and history. It works, to a point.

It looks at the search for tekhelet, a specific sky blue dye that is required in Jewish law to dye threads to attach to one's prayer shawl. Sterman goes into what the dye was, why it was important to Hasidic Jews, how it was made in ancient days (discovered by the Minoans, traded by Phoenicians, worn by Roman elites, used in Jewish religious tradition), and the effort by Hasidic rabbis over the last two centuries to recover the secrets of how this dye was made. 

The search for how Murex dyeing works was fascinating, even though it's also quite disturbing, being dependent on mutilating live snails and discarding them after the one precious gland is harvested. There was no real discussion about the ethics of this practice or any moves toward a more sustainable method of harvesting the important chemical -- but when religion gets involved in things, other considerations often get tossed out the window. That is my own observation, not something that is discussed in this book.

The history of blue and purple dyes is interesting and exciting; I recall Lydia, the seller of purple, in the bible and how that mention always intrigued me as a child. And of course the history of Minoan and Phoenician culture is always fascinating, at least to me. The details of how the dye is made is both compelling and disgusting -- who knew that the smell was so bad that a woman whose husband became a dyer after they were married was entitled to a divorce if she wanted one! I found these parts great reading and very informative. 

However, there didn't seem to be strong organization in this book, it talks about a lot of different things and sometimes themes and timelines get mixed up, at least for this reader. It also feels like it goes on a little too long; the chapter on the physics of colour perception could have easily been dropped without being missed. 

If you are interested in dyes and their cultural relevance, this is a good read. Keep in mind that the authors are also head of the Ptil Tekhelet Association, an organization dedicated to selling this rediscovered tekhelet dye and the threads required by this obscure biblical directive, so they might not be as objective about its importance as another person would. But they do know what they're talking about when it comes to how this dye was recovered from the mists of history and put back into production. 

This was an unusual find and one that I learned quite a lot from. Pretty interesting that I was reading this while making my latest super blue dress!

Weekend Review: A Red Like No Other

 

A Red Like No Other: How Cochineal Colored the World /
ed. by Carmella Padilla & Barbara Anderson
NY: Skira Rizzoli, c2015.
319 p.

Since I'm on the subject of colour this month, I finally brought this book home from the library to read -- I've been meaning to for years! But it's quite large and heavy, a classic art book, so I had put it off again and again ;)

But I'm glad I finally dug in, because it's fascinating, though the content is almost as heavy as the actual physical weight of it. It's a look at Cochineal through the ages, as the sub-subtitle says: an epic story of art, culture, science, and trade. 

It's an exhibition catalogue from an exhibit on the history of cochineal put on by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. And as such, it is packed full of amazing images from the exhibit, ranging over centuries, from prehistoric to modern uses, and examples of natural dyes used to create red tones revealing why cochineal was so prized for its stable reds and variety of shades it could produce. 

Of course, because it's a set of essays by over 40 scholars, there is no real narrative, just a loose arrangement of themes and timelines that combine to give a vast picture of the reach of cochineal in global history. The exhibit was inspired by the museum director reading a book called "A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and a Quest for the Color of Desire" by Amy Butler Greenfield. And if you're looking for more of an exciting narrative about cochineal, this is probably the one to reach for (I have my eye out for it now).

But this art book is full of fascinating historical information, and has exemplary illustrations -- I learned a lot about things I didn't even know I was interested in! One of the first essays was called "Three Reds: Cochineal, Hematite and Cinnabar in the Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican World" and I found it so intriguing. 

The book is broken up into 7 sections, and each is really a book in its own right. The 7 topics are all centred on cochineal -- the colour and the insect that creates it -- in varied time frames. Starting with Pre-Columbian & Early Contact Americas (since the source of cochineal is Mexico and South America), it moves to Global Trade, then Science, Textiles, European Art, the Colonial Hispanic Americas, and finally brings us to the Modern World. There are 4 - 6 essays in each section and the number of pieces contributed really gives a wide view of the topic. 

This is not a book that you're likely to read cover to cover, or in a weekend. But as a beautiful book to look through, dipping into different essays over a couple of weeks and picking up varied facts and enjoying the illustrations in particular, it's a good one. If it wasn't so expensive I'd say it would be a great coffee table book. As it is, I recommend that if you think this sounds good, you give your local library a go. Much more affordable that way! 

Weekend Review: The Wild Dyer

The Wild Dyer / Abigail Booth

NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2019, c2017.

159 p.

After recently reading about indigo farming and then the history of chemical dyes, I turned to this book from my local library to learn a bit about non-toxic plant dyes. 

It's a really good one for beginners; unlike some others I've flipped through in the past, this one is accessible and not at all intimidating. Also, it has gorgeous photographs of plants laid out four to a page with samples of cloth showing the various colours that plant can create, whether on its own or turned a darker brown/grey tone with a mordant (she mentions alum and iron mordants). She does note that some brighter colours can be found in the plant world but that she prefers the more common earthier tones herself. 

Another thing she says is that she likes to work by feel -- there are no precise recipes in the book for specific amounts of this or that, partly due to her process and partly due to the variability of plant matter. Personally I work this way in much of my creative life so this really appealed to me also; it felt like a natural way to approach this and not as terrifying as some more detailed books on the topic! 

The book has good illustrations of supplies and plant matter as well as clear explanations and lists of plants. It's written with an encouraging and low key tone -- the author suggests that an easy route to starting to dye naturally is to use kitchen waste like avocado skins & stones, onion skins or red cabbage. Then if you like it, you can try foraging or growing other plants specifically for dyeing. 

She does suggests working outside when possible, despite the natural sources, to alleviate any fumes (ie: rhubarb leaf gives a nice dye but also gives off toxic fumes -- the leaf is poisonous, so do not ingest) However, the difference between these dye batches and ones made with chemical powders is that these nontoxic dyes can just have their leftovers poured onto the garden when cooled off.

This book also include simple projects that readers can make with all their newly dyed fabrics. They are pretty basic and straightforward projects -- placemats, coasters, bags, apron, pillows -- all simple and using the muted earthy tones she prefers. It's really simple sewing for people who are more into the dyed fabric part than the sewing part. But again, a low threshold for beginners! 

I liked the feel of this book a lot, and it even made me think that dyeing doesn't seem so difficult, that maybe I'll actually try it someday. There is even a bonus recipe at the end for Oak Gall Ink -- made in much the same process as the dye batches in the rest of the book, but with a few additions to create a deep black ink, one that's been used for centuries. A nice addition to the rest of this thoughtful and calming book.  

I haven't really gotten into the dye side of fabric arts but this book might just be the thing that convinces me to give it a go. Really enjoyable and informative read!

Weekend Review: Mauve

 

Mauve / Simon Garfield
London: Faber & Faber, c2000.
224 p.

I first read this book a decade ago, but while reading Fibershed recently, I starting thinking about dyes and natural vs aniline options, local vs. corporate and so on. And that reminded me of this fascinating book all about the origins of aniline dyes, so I picked it up and skimmed through it again. Enjoyable once more! 

It tells the story of William Perkin and his discovery in 1856 of the first successful aniline dye (made from coal tar derivatives) -- the colour 'mauve'. He made this discovery accidentally; what he was really trying to do was to create a synthetic form of quinine to treat the malaria that was still rampant across the British Empire. His willingness to experiment with the actual results lead to mauve.

I always enjoy science history, and this was a good example of a popular science read. But additionally, a large part of Perkin's success was due to the fashion world taking up this colour, leading to competition from French textile makers and fashion designers. I thought that this was an entertaining and thorough book, both times! It focuses on William Perkin, but goes beyond simply his life, his discoveries and his business to show how the new colours (and the new industry) shaped fashion, economies, and even wartime innovations, including explosives.

The writing is clear and relatable, making the life of this young chemist fascinating and the world of academic vs. commercial chemistry actually quite intriguing. Garfield covers the specific science of the dyes, but also the relevance to society as a whole, in so many areas. He also shows how it was both Perkin's actual discovery and his willingness to risk a scientific career on making a commercial success of his colour that changed the way chemistry was perceived, making it a more obvious choice for students who wanted to make money at their work. (Perkin was 18 when he discovered mauve, and his father staked everything to create a factory in which William, his brother Thomas and their father all worked -- and they made a LOT of money.)

Garfield even talks about the environmental effects of this surge in dye-making. He records that the stream outside Perkin's factory would change colour every week, and that a factory in France was convicted of poisoning villagers downstream with arsenic. He follows the industry from the moment that mauve became a fashionable mania (shortly followed by another chemical dye from France called magenta) to our present day experience of taking multiple colours for granted. Influences such as war (the desire to dye uniforms surprised me), or fashion, or hard chemistry all have a place in this story, and keep it from being too narrow or dull.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone curious about how such aniline dyes came about, or how our need to colour our world in a multitude of hues has shaped so many areas of our societies. There is one section, in which Garfield is sharing a list of registered colours via the National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC, that sounds like poetry. A gorgeous and evocative list of names and sources of colour!

Well-written, not complicating the story with overly scientific explanations and yet not minimizing the importance of the science, this is a great general read. Lots of great "dinner party tidbits" in this one -- I always love a science book that makes you sound smart in general conversation ;) I know that I am looking at all the colours in my environment a little differently now.

(parts of this review come from my thoughts over at The Indextrious Reader the first time I read this book)