"One would think that... those purple ribbons were synonymous with ‘Per kin for Ever.'"
All The Year Round, contemporary weekly journal
In 1856 eighteen-year-old William Henry Perkin (1838- 1907) was assisting August Wilhelm von Hofmann at London's Royal College of Chemistry. Hofmann's particular interest lay in making synthetic versions of natural substances. Toiling away in a fume-filled, makeshift laboratory at the top of his London home, the young assistant was trying to synthesize the anti- malarial medicine quinine, which involved him working with coal tar. When a black sludge formed in the bottom of a flask he started to clean it out by adding alcohol and shaking up the mixture. A beautiful bluish color appeared. When tested on silk, Perkin found that it was a rich, purple, fast dye—the first synthetic dye after millennia of natural dyestuffs that often faded, ran, or were costly to produce.
By experimenting with a coal-tar-based substance, Perkin began a new industry that transformed the textile industry and helped advance other fields, from photography to medicine (including chemotherapy). He obtained a patent in 1856 and opened a factory. By 1860 he had found prosperity and fame, aided greatly by Queen Victoria and other royals, who developed a passion for the color. As purple became all the rage, Perkin's "mauveine" became "mauve"—the French word was perfect for this fashionable hue.
Perkin went on to create other synthetic dyes before returning to research-in his mid-thirties. He was knighted in 1906. Meanwhile, the synthetic-dye trade gathered momentum everywhere, gradually replacing natural dyestuffs, though increasing environmental awareness in recent times has put natural options back in the spotlight.
