THE ARTIFICIAL DYESTUFFS
The artificial dyestuffs form such a large body of complicated chemical compounds, that at first glance it would seem hopeless for any one who is not a trained chemist, to attempt to get any clear or definite ideas about them. This, indeed, would be the case if any attempt were made to study them chemically, i.e., with reference to their composition, or their method of manufacture; but when it comes to the application of them to the various textile fabrics and other materials, for which dyes are valuable, we soon find that the problem is not so very difficult after all.
To be sure there are many hundreds of different dyes on the market now, great numbers of which are known under three or four different trade names, according to the trade-mark of each particular manufacturer. But besides the great manufacturers, and their accredited agents, there are numerous retail agencies all over the country, large and small, which make a business of distributing dyes made by the great concerns. Some of these are very energetic, and have pushed the sale of artificial dyestuffs in ten- and fifteen-cent packages, until in almost every village, large enough to boast of a decent country store, these dyes can be obtained.
It is common to hear these dyes sneered at and abused. They are frequently referred to, especially by those of “artistic tastes,” as harsh and crude in color, fugitive to light and washing, and, in short, generally inferior and worthless products. This is not the case. They are, in some cases, individual dyestuffs, and in other cases, mixtures, generally belonging to the class of colors next to be described, the Salt dyes; and very good, if not indeed the very best specimens of that class. These Salt dyes, until the last few years, were far from fast, either to light or washing; but the more recent members of the class are much more satisfactory, and these colors, too, are found in the fifteen-cent packages.
Nor, too, can objection be fairly taken to the shades as being crude and harsh. That is all a matter of taste and skill on the part of the dyer. There is no better practice in dyeing than to take the very hardest, clearest, most brilliant red, blue, and yellow colors that can be found at the corner grocery and, following the directions on the packages, proceed to dye yarn or cheesecloth with them, at first using the individual dyes, and afterwards modifying the shade of one dye with traces of each of the other two. The softness and richness of the tones that can be thus obtained will satisfy the most critical.
The real objection to these widely distributed popular dyes is a very different one. They are not sold under their own names, and therefore it is almost impossible to identify them. To be sure, from the accompanying directions it is possible for a trained dyer to recognize at once the class to which the dyestuff belongs. But it is impossible for him, excepting after a long, tedious and often very troublesome analysis, to tell just what member or members of that particular class is contained in any given package. For this reason the dyer who has to depend on them for an important piece of work is in much the same position as a doctor would be who had to treat a difficult case with patent medicines compounded after secret formulæ.
In the following chapters, a discussion of each class of dyestuffs, and an explanation of their application and general properties will be followed by lists of three or four of the very best colors, sold by the New York agents of six of the largest and most reliable color manufacturers.
Workers wishing to obtain these dyes in comparatively large quantities, say one pound and upwards, can get them by writing directly to the addresses in the following table:
Badische— The Badische Anilin & Soda Fabrik,
128 Duane St.,
N. Y. City.
Cassella— The Cassella Co.,
184 Front St.,
N. Y. City.
Elberfeld—The Farbenfabriken of Elberfeld Co.,
117 Hudson St.,
N. Y. City.
Kalle— Kalle & Co.,
530 Canal St.,
N. Y. City.
Klipstein—A. Klipstein & Co.,
Agent for Society of Chemical Industry of Basle,
654 Greenwich St.,
N. Y. City.
Metz— Farbwerke-Hoechst Co., formerly H. A. Metz & Co.,
Agent for the Meister Lucius & Bruning Co.,
122 Hudson St.,
N. Y. City.
N. B. Further information concerning dyestuffs, apparatus, textiles, chemicals, etc., connected with this work may be obtained on writing to the author at 7 West 43rd St., New York.