Transition from Natural to Synthetic Dyeing

by Alan Dronsfield and John Edmonds

How irritating it must have been for a Roman general to stand before his troops decked out in uniforms that were stylistically similar but in different shades of the same colour. What they, and others, wanted was certainty and the ability to repeat and match colours with accuracy. Unfortunately the Roman general did not live to see that day. This short study traces the history of the transition from natural dyes to synthetic ones and the developments made in organic chemistry which allowed this to happen. Focusing primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, Dronsfield and Edmonds illustrate that the basic principles of dyeing fabrics has remained basically the same although the mechanism has changed enormously.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0953413357
• ISBN13: 9780953413355
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: John Edmonds
• Length: 118 Pages