The story of Cochineal, a small bug harvested from nopal leaves in Mexico, is a hidden gem in the history of the modern world. These bugs, when dried and ground, yielded one of the most expensive and prized red dyes in the world. The description above summarizes what makes this story so fascinating. Regardless of your area of interest, the story of cochineal is sure to make you reexamine your understanding of fashion, economics, and the industrialized world.
View More A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of DesireMonth: January 2021
Color: A Natural History of the Palette
Each chapter is an exploration of the story of a different hue, from their natural or artificial origins, to their use in art, to their impact on the modern world. I found this book both entertaining and informative and recommend it to anyone interested in color.
View More Color: A Natural History of the PaletteThe Secret Lives of Color
This is a beautifully constructed encyclopedia of colorants, with short stories and histories of each subject. I enjoyed reading it for pleasure and it provided much-needed context for my historical research. Working out of my home, I don’t have easy access to these colorants. This book helped fill in the gaps of my understanding and helped me feel like I shared the vision of those I researched.
View More The Secret Lives of ColorMauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World
This is a wonderful book for those interested in the history of colorants. In the context of printing, William Perkin’s accidental discovery of the artificial dye, Mauve, revolutionized the colorant industry and made possible the development of the chromatic monopigments essential to process and spot color printing today. This book also tells an interesting story about the attitudes of different European nations toward the application of scientific research to the advancement of industry.
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William Kurtz and the Attempt To Monopolize Color Printing in America
William Kurtz created the first successful three-color letterpress print in the world. His example inspired the growth of color in the commercial printing industry, but it did not come without a cost. Kurtz invested his entire fortune in three-color research without any return, then lost his key patent to a corporate collective bent on monopolizing process color printing in America, bullying engraving firms to either join the collective or cease process color work altogether. This is the story of William Kurtz, his patent, and the attempt to monopolize color printing in America.
View More William Kurtz and the Attempt To Monopolize Color Printing in America