Industry had shown Victorian chemists what was possible, and now nothing seemed beyond achievement; an eighteen-year-old had created a new shade for a woman’s shawl, and the full force of chemical ambition was unleashed. [loc. 1044]
Framed as a biography of William Perkin -- who in 1856, aged 18, synthesised an aniline dye while attempting to make artificial quinine -- this book also provides an overview of the history of chemical dyes, the tension between pure and applied science, and the machinations of fashion.
Mauve was one of the first of the books dealing with a single significant substance, innovator or phenomenon: dust, foam, rats, cod, salt ... I was pleased to find it on Kindle Unlimited (though vexed by the large bold type used for footnotes) and found it an interesting read, with the chemistry explained in comprehensible terms. Garfield touches on the medical properties of various dyes, something I'd like to read more about: I wonder if there might be connections to folkloric beliefs that particular colours were apt treatments for specific diseases (red hangings for smallpox, for example.)
If I have a criticism, it's that some of the content is only tangentially related to Perkin and his work: there's an account of the murder of wrestler Dave Schultz by John Eleuthère du Pont (scion of the company which had been a major producer of chemical dyes) which is tied into the main narrative by a mention of Schultz's red and mauve leotards.
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