A sample of Turkey Red cloth c 1850-1890 from a United Turkey Red Co pattern book.
The technique of Turkey Red dyeing came to Scotland in the 1780s. The process used a natural dye called madder together with a mordant (a chemical which fixed the colour to the cloth) and produced a range of red, brown and black shades. The development of the Scottish chemical industry led to the production of new mordants and chemical dyes, giving dyers a richer variety of colours to choose from.
Reference: 1360.91.203 / PP.1986.273.49
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
calico printers, cloth designs, dyeing, dyers, dyes, exports, pattern books, patterns, Turkey Red, United Turkey Red Co