Adventures in the 19th Century: Natural Dyes in the Mid-19th Century

Natural dyes generally come in two forms, organic dyes and mineral pigments. Organic dyes, with the exception of indigo, would not readily stick to cotton fabric without the helps of mordants for organic dyes (mineral salts such as copper, aluminum, tin and iron) and protein-binding for mineral dyes (using albumin from eggs for gluten from wheat) These mordants helped the dyes last through washing and reduced fading in light, and also functioned as a way of tinting the material to slightly different hues. None the less, cotton remained the fabric most prone to fading, which is why wool and silk are found more often in solid colors, while cotton was limited to patterns that could hide any irregularities in color.

I would highly suggest browsing the blog Civil War Quilts, which has several posts showing examples of each dye in antique and reproduction fabrics. I have linked her posts under each dye that she has covered.

Mineral Dyes

Prussian Blue

Civil War Quilts blog post on Prussian blue

"Prussian blue was very popular in America in the 1850s, and was first used in the United States in the early 1830s. Prussian blue was commonly used in ombre prints, prints which featured a gradation from light to dark."-quiltindex.org

IndiaMART

Manganese Bronze

"Manganese dyes were responsible for a deep, rich brown and was often used in floral patterns. Manganese dyes have been used in quilts since prior to 1820, however, they were often fugitive. Manganese dyes are often responsible for serious damage to the cloth and other adjacent dyes." -quiltindex.org

Kremer Pigmints

Chrome Yellow

Civil War Quilts blog post on chrome yellow

Chrome yellow is composed of lead(II) chromate (PbCrO4).

"[Chrome] yellows were popular in the period from about 1860 to 1880 and were produced, often in the home, from highly toxic chemical dye powders. Chrome yellows are brighter than butterscotch, another popular yellow from the same period." -quiltindex.org

Swatch glued in a 19th-century dye book

showing chrome or canary yellow.

Chrome Orange or Cheddar

Civil War Quilts blog post on chrome orange.

"Chrome orange is a range of orange pigments, which consists of lead(II) chromate and lead(II) oxide." -wikipedia