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| Program > Relations Between Academic Knowledge and Industry |
| Programme > Relations entre les savoirs académique et industriel |
| Hanna E. H. Martinsen (University
of Toronto) Textile Dyeing: Colour Magic, Dyer’s Art or Academic Science |
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The myth that the French Gobelin family had made a pact with the Devil to achieve a brilliant scarlet red manifests the concept of textile dyeing as a magical process. Some early dye manuals were written in code and clearly illustrate the secrecy that surrounded both the recipes as well as the dye-methods. Our concept of textile dyeing as a dyer’s art are strengthened by Captain Beaulieu’s important report from 1735 to M. Dufay, who probably was the French inspector of dye-works, describing methods used in India for mordant printing textiles. However, in the eighteenth century, scientists contributed extensively to further European knowledge of both textile dyeing and printing. The French chemist Claude-Louis Berthollet’s work guided the textile bleaching- and dyeing- industries from a craft based tradition towards a science-based industry. His publication, Élements de l’art de la teinture, corresponded with a traditional dye manual and also introduced a scientific evaluation. Berthollet’s theoretical research on oxymuriatic acid led to the development of a totally new bleaching process, which reduced bleaching time as well as the demand for bleaching fields. However, he used two respected and successful textile-printing companies to conduct the practical trials; Haussmann’s in Logelback outside of Colmar and Oberkampf’s in Jouy-en-Josas near Versailles. Both companies had a special connection to academic science; Jean-Michel Haussmann had studied at college des apothicaires in Paris before joining the family factory, while Oberkampf sent his nephew to study with Berthollet and Berthollet’s son practiced at Oberkampf’s factory.
Institute
for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
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