Emily Snee | Fashion that SLAYED!? A History of Fabric Dyes (and all the damage early chemical dyes did) @EmilySnee | Uploaded May 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Why were Victorians wearing clothes that killed them? Why did a Scheele’s Green stick around so long? And why did everyone go mad for mauve?
I always enjoy researching fashion history and clothing history, but I think that looking into the history of fabric dye (and the history of chemical and synthetic fabric dye in particular) has been one of my favourite little history deep dives to date!
Between Paris Green arsenic wallpaper, Scheeles Green arsenic dresses, William Henry Perkin’s aniline purple mauvine dye, the death of artificial florists, and all the other ridiculous, tragic and bizarre confusions, impacts, and inactions - this was an absolutely fascinating subject to dive into!
If you enjoyed this video, you might like my other deep dives which I’ve squished together into a handy playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm8RMHenfAjVGGha6rDjcV9VzHJ4tX3lY
SUPPORT ME:
By becoming a patron and getting additional content like an Aftershow for every project and occasional freebies as thanks for your ongoing support!
patreon.com/EmilySnee
You can check out my various art prints and merch-like goodies here: etsy.me/3EzCzVR
Follow me on the Social Medias!
instagram.com/emilyjsnee
pinterest.co.uk/emilysnee
SOURCES:
Taaadaaah! You can check where I got all my info here:
emilysnee.co.uk/post/clothes-that-could-kill-you-the-sources
IMAGES:
The Arsenic Waltz - Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg / Punch — 42.1862 / Page 54 (doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16869#0062)
Accidents caused by the use of green arsenic, 1859 - Original image from Wellcome Collection (library.artstor.org/#/asset/24791262)
"Death of an Artificial Florist from Poison in her work" image of article (newspapers.com/clip/30613252/death-of-matilda/)
Advertisement for Wallpapers free from Arsenic – copyright held by Wellcome Library, London (bl.uk/collection-items/advertisement-for-wallpapers-free-from-arsenic)
Painting: Embroidery Woman by Georg Friedrich Kersting, 1817
Painting: At the Mirror by Georg Friedrich Kersting, 1827
Photographs of dresses available through the Met Museum’s Open Access policy
Heron wallpaper by Corbière, Son & Brindle, London, UK (1879) (© 2016 Crown Copyright)
Other wallpaper examples taken from Shadows from the walls of death : facts and inferences prefacing a book of specimens of arsenical wall papers, gathered
Imperial Federation, map of the world showing the extent of the British Empire in 1886 via The Boston Public Library (collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:x633f896s)
GOTS and Standard 100 logos shown for educational and illustrative purposes, to aid viewer’s ability to identify and purchase products that are marked with these certifications
Why were Victorians wearing clothes that killed them? Why did a Scheele’s Green stick around so long? And why did everyone go mad for mauve?
I always enjoy researching fashion history and clothing history, but I think that looking into the history of fabric dye (and the history of chemical and synthetic fabric dye in particular) has been one of my favourite little history deep dives to date!
Between Paris Green arsenic wallpaper, Scheeles Green arsenic dresses, William Henry Perkin’s aniline purple mauvine dye, the death of artificial florists, and all the other ridiculous, tragic and bizarre confusions, impacts, and inactions - this was an absolutely fascinating subject to dive into!
If you enjoyed this video, you might like my other deep dives which I’ve squished together into a handy playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm8RMHenfAjVGGha6rDjcV9VzHJ4tX3lY
SUPPORT ME:
By becoming a patron and getting additional content like an Aftershow for every project and occasional freebies as thanks for your ongoing support!
patreon.com/EmilySnee
You can check out my various art prints and merch-like goodies here: etsy.me/3EzCzVR
Follow me on the Social Medias!
instagram.com/emilyjsnee
pinterest.co.uk/emilysnee
SOURCES:
Taaadaaah! You can check where I got all my info here:
emilysnee.co.uk/post/clothes-that-could-kill-you-the-sources
IMAGES:
The Arsenic Waltz - Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg / Punch — 42.1862 / Page 54 (doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16869#0062)
Accidents caused by the use of green arsenic, 1859 - Original image from Wellcome Collection (library.artstor.org/#/asset/24791262)
"Death of an Artificial Florist from Poison in her work" image of article (newspapers.com/clip/30613252/death-of-matilda/)
Advertisement for Wallpapers free from Arsenic – copyright held by Wellcome Library, London (bl.uk/collection-items/advertisement-for-wallpapers-free-from-arsenic)
Painting: Embroidery Woman by Georg Friedrich Kersting, 1817
Painting: At the Mirror by Georg Friedrich Kersting, 1827
Photographs of dresses available through the Met Museum’s Open Access policy
Heron wallpaper by Corbière, Son & Brindle, London, UK (1879) (© 2016 Crown Copyright)
Other wallpaper examples taken from Shadows from the walls of death : facts and inferences prefacing a book of specimens of arsenical wall papers, gathered
Imperial Federation, map of the world showing the extent of the British Empire in 1886 via The Boston Public Library (collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:x633f896s)
GOTS and Standard 100 logos shown for educational and illustrative purposes, to aid viewer’s ability to identify and purchase products that are marked with these certifications
