December issue of YIPE!

The December issue of YIPE! is now available for download at

http://www.yipezine.com/

32 pages of costuming photos and fun just in time for the holidays.

Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of Elephant's Breath & London Smoke in the GoodReads Giveaway!

Riah Ellis
Amy Huziak
Seymour Hersh
Mary Reed

Your books will be shipped directly from the publisher soon. I would be very grateful if you could write a review after you've had a chance to read through it.

Many thanks to Lorina of Five Rivers Chapmanry for sponsoring the contest!

Giveaway ends soon!

Just a reminder that my publisher, Lorina of Five Rivers Chapmanry, is giving away four copies of Elephant's Breath & London Smoke at Goodreads!

The contest ends late tonight!

Join in the fun! Just click on the Enter to Win button.

Interesting links

Five Rivers Books on Smashwords - changes are coming to Five Rivers Publishing

The online costume 'zine
Yipe!
has a new issue with many wonderful photos.

Volume 1, Issue 1 is now available for download (in two resolutions)

Color of the Day - Alexandra blue

Alexandra – Born at Copenhagen, Dec. 1, 1844. Daughter of Christian IX. of Denmark and wife of Edward VII., king of England, whom she married March 10, 1863.
Century Cyclopedia of Names, 1904

Alexandra blue, 1863 – The beautiful colour which has received the name of Alexandra blue,
What-Not, April 1863

Alexandra blue, 1872 – It is worth noting that ultramarine, in a very deep shade (when it borrows the name “Alexandra,” “royal,” &c., according to the period), is one of the most unbecoming colors that can be placed near the face in masses. Its brilliancy lends a yellow hue to the skin, while its deepness withholds the gray shadows cast by pale blues, which are so valuable to delicate complexions: it should be shunned alike by the florid and the fair.
Every Saturday, November 16, 1872

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at http://www.mantua-maker.com/

Book Giveaway

Happy Halloween, everyone!

My publisher, Lorina of Five Rivers Chapmanry, is giving away four copies of Elephant's Breath & London Smoke at Goodreads!

The contest ends on 11/30/09.

Join in the fun! Just click on the Enter to Win button.

Best of luck to you!

Introducing - Yipe!: the Costume Fanzine of Record

I just received an email from the magnificent costumer Kevin Roche:

Yesterday my friend Jason Shachat and I released the first issue of our new online 'zine, YIPE!, dedicated to the art and craft of costume. Our goal was to produce the look and feel of a glossy pictorial magazine in every way but the "printed on paper" part.

You can download the inaugural isue as an Acrobat (PDF) file at http://www.yipezine.com .

Hope you enjoy it; this is definitely a labor of love.
Kevin

P.S. If you have the bandwidth and storage, I recommend you opt for the high-resolution (25M) version. It's really spectacular.

P.P.S. If you are interested in contributing to future issues of YIPE!, contact us at editors@yipezine.com

I just finished reading it, and I'm very impressed. I highly recommend it!

The Mantua-Maker in Creative Machine Embroidery

Creative Machine Embroidery magazine was kind enough to put a photo of one of my patterns in the November/December 2009 issue!

1500 - 1630 Spanish Loose Gown is on page 72, on the Fashion Forecast page. I'm part of the latest trends!

This issue also has Last Minute Gift Ideas, Stabilizing Secrets, and ways to Wake Up Your Winter Wardrobe.

Blog posts for writers

On my other blog, I've been posting links to help writers with the business of publishing.

Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker: Blog posts for writers - Oct 8

Here I am testing to see how Create a Link works. Does anyone know how to create links to multiple posts in the Create a Link section?

I'm confused!

Etsy Corsetry Guild

Electra Designs has announced the creation of an Etsy Corsetry Guild.

"The Etsy Corsetry Guild is made up of a group of very talented corset makers who sell hand made corsets on Etsy.com.

"Our philosophy is non-competition between corset makers. Instead of competing against one another, we will all work to promote the work of other corset makers on etsy.

"The Etsy Corsetry Guild will also collaborate to produce educational information to help consumers make informed decisions about their corset purchases and to help them to distinguish between high quality, hand made corsets and inferior, sweat shop "corset" lingerie.

"If you or someone you know is a talented corset maker on Etsy, please invite them to apply for membership to the Etsy Corsetry Guild."

Please click on the link above for more information.

More on spider-silk cloth

Thank you to Robin Netherton for this link with a much better photo and more details.

1 Million Spiders Make Golden Silk for Rare Cloth from Wired.com / Wired Science

This fabric is far more beautiful than I had guessed!

Spider silk

Carole Parker sent along this article from the New York Times:

Gossamer Silk, From Spiders Spun

Fabric created from spider silk!

I was fascinated and wanted to share it with you.

Color of the Day - Turquoise

Turquoise, 1872 – Turquoise blue, …is a most beautiful pale color, less cold than indigo, yet colder than ultramarine, …In dress, when not too brilliant, it is exceedingly becoming, especially to fair persons, adding gray to the shadows of the complexion, enhancing the rose of the cheek and any shade of yellow latent in the hair. It is, though not the brightest, the most penetrating of all blues.
Every Saturday, November 16, 1872

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Royal grene

Royal grene, 1380 – Among the most popular were “royal grene;” which from ancient miniatures we should judge to have been a fine grass-green with a distinct dash of yellow in it, like the colour of a sunlit leaf.
Contemporary Review, September 1883

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Renaissance Corset Making Class in Houston TX

Alexis Black of Electra Designs, a member of the Houston Texas Corset Making Group, is offering a class for making a Renaissance corset using my Quilted Bodies pattern.

The class will be held on September 26, 2009 and will run for 8 hours.

For full details, check out the announcement at:

http://www.meetup.com/Make-Corsets/calendar/11217729/

You can also see her work at her Live Journal blog:

http://electradesigns.livejournal.com/

Color of the Day - Milk and water

Milk and watter, 1562 – Maye 21, 1562. … one clock {cloak} of colour called milk and watter.
Wills and Inventories from the Registry of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, 1853

Milke and water, 1587 – iiij yds of milke and water
Wills and Inventories from the Registry at Durham, 1860

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

#11 in books on fashion at Amazon

I'd like to think Lorina Stephens at Five Rivers Chapmanry for pointing out on her blog that Elephant's Breath & London Smoke now ranks #11 in books on fashion at Amazon.com.

I'm thrilled! I hope you'll check out my Amazon page at Elephant's Breath & London Smoke.

Elephant's Breath & London Smoke is a dictionary of color in history, especially as seen in fashion.

Wool Export Colours in 1747

Only coloured Cloths are fent to the Levant; but they are different, according as they are defined for Perfia or Smyrna.

The Colours for Smyrna are, Scarlet, or red Crimfon, Violet, Purple, Green, Prince Colour, and Cinamon. Thofe for Perfia are, Ifa belle, Feuille morte, Yellow, Citron, Orange, Flefh Colour, Celadon, clear Purple, Rofe Colour, Carnation, Amarante, grey Pearl, Blue, Lead Grey, and Scarlet.

Memoirs of Wool, &c., 1747

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Coralline

Coralline – (Peonine). A deep red coloring matter … In tone it is perfectly distinct from magenta, being a red, as its name intimates, resembling that of the peony and of coral. … An outcry is at present raised against its use, on the ground of alleged poisonous properties, which are probably much overstated.
Manual of Colour and Dye Wares, 1870

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

In the reign of Elizabeth I

A runaway page was thus defcribed in the reign of Elizabeth

These are to pray you, &c. to make hew and cry for a yonge stripling aged twenty-two years, with one doblet of yellow million fuftion, the one half buttoned with peche coloured buttons, the other half laced downwards. One payer of peche coloured hofe, laced with fmall tawney lace. A graye hat, with a copper edge round it; a pair of watched ftockings. He hath two clokes, the one of veffey collor, garded with two yards of black cloth and twifted lace of carnacyon collor, and lined with crimfone bayes; the other is a red fhipp ruffet colour, ftriped about the cape; and gown the fore face twifted with two rows of twifted lace; ruffet and gold buttons afore and upon the fholdier, being of the clothe itfelf, fet with the faid twifted lace, and the buttons of ruffet filk and gold.”

Antiqu. Repertory, Vol. II.
The British Critic, October 1797

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Popinjay

Popinjay, 1735 – To dye a Popinjay-Green. Make a weak lixivium of pot-afhes, fuch as the country people wafh their clothes with, put into it Indigo a fufficient quantity; then put in your things to be dyed (being firft dyed yellow), let it boil, the longer the better, fo will the colour be good.
Dictionarium Polygraphicum, 1735

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Scarlet

Scarlet, 1607 – Scarlet cloth was supposed to be endued with medicinal virtues, of which an instance is given by Dr. Gaddesden, who is said to have cured a patient of the small-pox by wrapping him in a scarlet cloth. “And these applied with a right scarlet cloth.” B. Jonson’s Volpone.
Glossary and Etymological Dictionary, 1834

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Should You Consider Submitting to a Micro-Publisher?

I wrote a short article for Vision, an e-resource for writers, offering a bit of advice on finding and working with a micro-publisher. I happened to be lucky in my choice - my publisher works harder at promotion than I do. But there are many things to think about when you try to choose a micro-publisher.

You can read my article here:

http://lazette.net/vision/Vision52/micro.htm

Color of the Day - Mordoré

Mordoré, 1791 – by uniting thefe two mordants, alum and iron, we have mixed colours, inclining to red on the one hand, and to black on the other, fuch {such} as mordoré and puce colour. … various colours may be obtained from madder united with yellow fubftances. It is in this way, that mordoré and cinnamon colours are produced;
Elements of the Art of Dyeing, 1791

Mordoré, 1798 – Is a dark dirty Crimfon Red; a mixture of Crimfon and a little Brown.
Philosophy of Mineralogy, 1798

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Black and Dyers Black

Black , 1775 – abfence or want of light and colour, owing to a body’s reflecting no rays of light. Dyers black, for ftuffs of a high price, is compofed of indigo, woad, boiled with alum, tarter or afhes of lees or wine, maddered with common madder, and mixed with gall-nuts of Aleppo, copperas and fumach. The beft black cloth fhould be firft dyed blue.
Royal English Dictionary, 1775

Outtake from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Proserpine

Proserpine – The new colors of the season are chiefly intended for evening dress. … Proserpine-color is perhaps the newest of all; it is a dark but brilliant shade of crushed-raspberry, a good deal deeper than the hue, of that name, which was so fashionable a few seasons ago, but in the same gamut of tones.
Peterson's Magazine, April 1886

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Claie

Claie, 1600 – Item, one rounde kirtle of claie-colour satten, or terr’ sigillata, enbrodered all over with flowers of Venice silver and blacke silke. {Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe}
Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth, 1823

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Colour Language: 1904

We have a colour language, but it is not accurate. We all begin our existence by feeling an interest only in self, and by taking the mouth as our centre. And even when, grown older, we show an interest in the doings of our neighbours and the aspect of things near us, we still give evidence that our own mouth is our starting point of interest and comparison. Take up a book of sample papers, and observe the names you give to the colours. “This is lemon colour,” you say; “and here is cream colour, and blue, and crushed strawberry. And that is biscuit colour, and here are orange, cherry colour, and chocolate.” You may not mention “salmon colour” or “oatmeal,” or “applegreen,” &c., yet, almost certainly, many of your colour names will be taken from the orchard and the larder. We note this tendency even in Chaucer, who said that one thing was “as white as Maine bread,” and another “as green as a leek.” The simple woman, then, and the great poet make colour names by comparison, and very good and forcible names they are. But we do not stop here. Fashionable dressmakers have given us a new vocabulary, and many of their names appear to have their origin in mere caprice. They change so rapidly, too, that we cannot be sure very long of their meaning. “Réséda” was once green. Now it is a kind of blue. Ecru may mean one thing to one person – another thing to other persons. It would be just as reasonable to teach a perishing dialect, instead of the English language, as to teach this new colour vocabulary of an hour.
Education Through the Imagination, 1904

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Aniline dye, 1876

Aniline , 1876 – The Most Beautiful Colors are made by the use of Leamon’s Aniline Dyes. They are strongly con­centrated solutions, and one bottle will color an astonishing amount. No other dye-stuff approaches then in ease and simplicity of use, and none are so economical. If you have anything you can save by making the color as good as new, give them a trial. Very full directions with each package, for all uses. The colors are remarkably fast and brilliant. Any shade or color can be made. All druggists sell them.
World of Fashion, May 1876

Outtake from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Sage

Sage, 1900 – Sage Green. Interpretation: Lifelessness, inanity, also Vulgarity, Coarseness, Vileness.
Auras and Colors, 1900

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Claret

Claret, 1900 – Moody, Distrust, Suspicion, Weakness, Passion.
Auras and Colors, 1900

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Antwerp blue

Antwerp blue, 1900 – Beauty, Power, Nobility, Integrity.
Auras and Colors, 1900

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Khaki

Khaki, 1883 – an earthy or grey clay colour, now largely used to dye the uniform of soldiers. “Khaki” is the name given to a sect of Vaishnava Hindus founded by Kil, a disciple of Krishna Das. They apply ashes of cowdung to their dress and persons, hence the name of khaki given to them.
Economic Products Of India, 1883

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Abraham

Abraham, 1600 – Abraham-colour, supposed to be a dingy yellow. Archdeacon Nares thinks it a corruption of auburn, which was sometimes written abron, … but the greater probability is, that Abraham was depicted in the old tapestries with a yellow, or rather an orange tawny, beard, and hence that colour, or something resembling it, derives its name.
Glossary and Etymological Dictionary, 1834

Abraham, 1602 – in an old play called Blurt Mafter Conftable, or The Spaniard’s Night-Walk, 1602: “over all, / A goodly, long, thick, Abraham-colour’d beard.”
The Plays of William Shakspeare, 1793

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Electrum

Electrum – In Homer and Hesiod this word means amber. Pliny says that when gold contains a fifth part of silver, it is called electrum. Its colour was whiter and more luminous than that of gold, and the metal was supposed to betray the presence of poison. Specimens are rare.
Dictionary of Words Used in Art and Archæology, 1883

out-take from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Venetian scarlet

Venetian scarlet, 1797 – There are three kinds of fcarlet, viz. that dyed with kermes, with cochineal, and gum-lac. The firft, called Venetian fcarlet, is leaft bright, but more permanent, and lefs apt to be fpotted than the others; infomuch that in fome pieces of tapeftry done with this at Bruxelles in Flanders, it has fcarce loft any of its vivacity in 200 years. However, it is fcarce ever ufed except for tapeftry,
Encyclopædia Britannica, 1797

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Nuage

Nuage, 1874 – Some charming new greys are called “nuage”, all the tints that can be in the clouds are included in this – the gris charni, gris de Nil, gris russe, gris d’acier, gris fuetre.
Warehousemen and Drapers’ Trade Journal, May 2, 1874

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Raymond blue

Raymond blue, 1811 – the Process for dying Silk of a Prussian Blue. By M. Raymond. Published by the Government in 1811. …the blue obtained by prussiate of iron, otherwise termed Raymond’s blues, are at least as brilliant, …as in blues which are produced with the sulphuric solution of indigo, and known by the name of composition blues; and they have this advantage over the latter, that they are much more beautiful, and at the same time more solid.
Repertory of Arts, August 1815

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Mouse

Mouse, 1886 – The darker shades of gray – such as mouse-gray… – are very much worn just now, and, when relieved with slight trimmings of cut-steel or antique silver, have a very refined aspect. These tints are only becoming, however, to persons with a very brilliant complexion, as they make pale persons look paler, and give a positively green hue to a sallow skin.
Peterson’s Magazine, April 1886

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Now available through Expresso

Elephant's Breath and London Smoke - as well as all other books published by Five Rivers - are now available on the Expresso Book Machine.

Here is the announcement from my publisher, Five Rivers:

http://5riversnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/five-rivers-books-now-available-through.html

Included is a list of places that have the Expresso Book Machine and a YouTube video.

Color of the Day - Liard

Liard, 1380 – of a grey colour, approaching to white; it is called liart in Scotland. “Attour his belt his liard lockes lay.” Chaucer.
Glossary and Etymological Dictionary, 1834

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Dry rose

Dry rose, 1761 – They distinguish many forts of purple colours. One was extremely deep, of a red drawing to a violet. f … f …this species of purple approached to the colour we call dry rofe, like to that which the leaves of the vines take when they are ready to fall. He adds, ’tis very nearly the fame we fee in the interior border of the rainbow.
Origin of Laws, Arts, and Sciences, 1761

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Yellow

Yellow, 1908 – Yellow is a splendid shade, and one that is both subtle and mysterious. The Burmese – a race that is most cunning m psychic matters – make a deep study of its varying effects, and use it in all their garments of ceremony. But, with us, yellow has been for many years greatly and most unjustly despised. It is one of the finest of colours, with many exquisite shades, and only when too pure is it unmanageable. The cold, pale primrose, that shines like a light in the hedgerows, may be massed about a young face with impunity. Apricot is beautiful for some people, and ambers of all shades are exceedingly good and becoming A fair woman looks well in pale yellow and brown, the effect being well shown in the third of the following illustrations; and deep orange suits a brunette. A dull tawny shade, once called “buff,” is also most becoming. Yellow was a favourite colour with most of the old masters. …In fact, yellow is the “sun colour,” is most lucky, and suits almost everyone.
Strand Magazine, January 1908

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Advice from 1872

A lady of taste will not forget that colors change according as they are looked at by day or by lamp-light, and we see her in the middle of the day stepping into a closed saloon lit up with gas to choose her evening dress. … Buttercup yellow, so bright at any time, is brighter than ever of an evening, straw-color becomes rosier, … Pink changes to salmon-color. …The yellow light of gas or candles, so hostile to all blue tints, enhances the splendor of red. Ruby becomes more brilliant, nacarate appears lighter, cérise deepens to crimson, and crimson inclines to capucine, which itself assumes a more orange-like tone, and orange vies with fire-color.
Harper's Bazar, April 27, 1872

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Heliotrope

Heliotrope, 1894 – A woman who has naturally a good color in her cheeks and lips is rendered positively pallid-looking by a gown or hat in a dull-heliotrope tint. A light pinkish shade of this color would be much kinder to her; but at best heliotrope is an uncharitable hue, and unless one is quite sure of its becomingness, it is safest to avoid it.
Delineator, June 1894

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Tuly

Tuly, 1440 – Tuly, colowre. 6 Punicus, … 6 Tuly appears to have been a deep red colour; the term occurs in Coer de Lion, “trappys of tuely sylke,” v. 1516, supposed by Weber to be toile de soie.…1321, a chasuble is mentioned “de tule samito.”… in Sloane MS 73 {c.1460},… “to make bokerham tuly, or tuly thred, … a manner of reed colour as it were if croppe mader,”
Promptorium Parvulorum, 1865

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Bayard

Bayard, 1529 – name of the magic war-horse given by Charlemagne to Renaud (Rinaldo) …representative name for a horse and for blindness and recklessness. The Fr. word baiard, bayard,= ‘bay-colored’ was in early use in Eng., meaning ‘bay-colored’, ‘bay horse’; …1529: Bold bayarde, ye are to blynde,
Stanford Dictionary of Anglicised Words and Phrases, 1892

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Mummy

Mummy, 1901 – ‘Mummy,’ as a pigment, is inferior to prepared, but superior to raw, asphalt, inasmuch as it has been submitted to a considerable degree of heat, and has thereby lost some of its volatile hydrocarbons. Moreover, it is usual to grind up the bones and other parts of the mummy together, so that the resulting powder has more solidity and is less fusible than the asphalt alone would be. A London colourman informs me that one Egyptian mummy furnishes sufficient material to satisfy the demands of his customers for twenty years. It is perhaps scarcely necessary to add that some samples of the pigment sold as ‘mummy’ are spurious. Mummy was certainly used as an oil-paint at least as early as the close of the sixteenth century.
Chemistry of Paints and Painting, 1901

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Complaints about colors from 1892

EVERY student of botany, ornithology, or entomology, has found the lack of any well-defined standard or credited nomenclature of color a prolific source of trial and perplexity, while to the common eye there is nothing but confusion in our present methods of desi­g­­nating color. No stronger proof of this is needed than some of the terms used to designate fashionable colors, such as “crushed strawberry,” “ashes of roses,” “elephant’s breath,” etc. What more absurd terms could one easily choose to express an intelligible conception.
Science, February 26, 1892

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Judas

Judas, 1613 – Judas was conftantly reprefented in ancient painting or tapeftry, with red hair and beard. So, in The Infatiate Countefs, 1613: “I ever thought by his red beard he would prove a Judas.”
The Plays of William Shakspeare, 1793

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Scheele’s green

Scheele’s green, 1870 – It is injurious to wear a green dress, of the colour have been imparted to it by means of Scheele’s green, which is arsenite of copper – a deadly poison. I have known the arsenic to fly off from a green dress in the form of powder, and to produce in consequence, ill health.
Advice to a Mother, 1870

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Cinnamon

Cinnamon, 1850 – Take half a pound of ground camwood, tie it in a thin bag, and put it into a brass or tin kettle with two gallons of soft water. Boil it a quarter of an hour. Then strain it, and put in the article, wet thoroughly in water. Dip it carefully, and repeat the dipping till it takes the colour completely. With the dye that is left, you may obtain different shades of brown by adding, in small quantities, more or less copperas; giving it another boil.
Miss Leslie’s Lady’s House-Book, 1850

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Mourning Advice in England: 1724

December 12th, 1724 …I will answer Mrs. Carter’s questions about her mourning to you. I think her in the right in buying a white satin to top her black, for the reasons she gives me; but that she can only wear as a nightgown {informal day dress}, and if she was in town she should wear only mourning when she is dressed {formally}, but in the country that will not be minded, white gloves, coloured fan and coloured shoes, and edgings if she pleases, and black or white short apron and girdle, which she likes best. My mama must not wear black handkerchiefs with her second year’s mourning.
The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mrs. Delany, 1882

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Italian pink

Italian pink, 1835 – Dutch pink, English and Italian Pinks, are sufficiently absurd names of yellow colours prepared by dyeing, whitening, &c. with vegetal yellow tinctures, in the manner of rose pink, from which they borrow their name. They are bright yellow colours, extensively used in distemper and for paper-staining, and other ordinary purposes;
Chromatography, 1835

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Verdegrease

Verdegrease, 1735 – grind it with the juice of rue and a little weak gum water, and you will have a moft pure green; if you would diaper with it grind it with lye of rue (or the decoction thereof) and it will make a hoary green. … It is a good Green, but fubject to decay; being dry upon paper, it will be of a higher colour than when firft laid on; …To dye a Verdegreafe-Green. Take water a fufficient quantity, make it as hot as you can endure your hand in it, in which put verdegreafe two ounces in fine powder;
Dictionarium Polygraphicum, 1735

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Bois de rose

Bois de rose, 1874 – One of the newest colors is called bois de rose; it is made in three shades, which are constantly used in one costume. The lightest shade is an unhealthy salmon; the middle shade reminds us more of raspberry ice-cream than anything else; and the darker shade is a rich claret. These shades will, of course, not be worn for street dresses, but for carriage, dinner, or watering-place toilets.
Godey's Lady's Book, June 1874

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Woad

Woad, 1667 – Woad is made of a Weed, fown upon ftrong new-broken Land, perfectly cleered from all ftones and weeds, cut feveral times by the top leaves, then ground, or rather chopt with a peculiar Mill for that purpofe; which being done feveral times, is made up in Balls and dryed in the Sun; the dryer the year is, the better the Woad. Englifh Woad is counted the ftrongeft, it is commonly tryed by ftaining of white Paper with it, or a white Limed wall, and if the Colour be a French-green it is good. … The making and ufing of Woad, is one of the moft myfterious, nice, and hazardous operations in Dying: It is one of the moft lafting Colours that is Dyed: An intenfe Woad Colour is almost black, that is to fay, of a Damfon-colour; this Colour is the foundation of fo many others in its degree, that the Dyers have a certain Scale, or number of Stalls, whereby to compute the lightnefs and deepneft of this Colour.
History of the Royal-Society of London, 1667

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Eosine

Eosine – A new dye known under the name of Eosine has recently been added to the list of red dyes, …The word ‘Eosine’ signifies day-dawn, implying that the colour is that of the rosy hue of morning. On silk, the colour is that of the rose, but on wool it is scarlet.
Textile Colourist, November 1876

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Settled Grief

Settled Grief – “You wish to inspect some half-mourning, Madam? the second stage of distress? As such, allow me to recommend this satin – intended for grief when it has subsided; alleviated, you see, Ma’am, from a dead black to a dull lead color. It is a Parisian novelty, Ma’am, called ‘Settled Grief,’ and is very much worn by ladies of a certain age,”
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, January 1853

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Cinder

Cinder, 1668 – And if you will die your wooll of a Cinder colour, which is a very good colour, you fhall put your Red wooll into your puke Liquor; and then it will fail lefs to be of a Cinder colour.
A VVay to Get Wealth, 1668

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Sanguine

Sanguine, 1380 – The chief reds were scarlet, named by the Wife of Bath, &c.; sanguine, or crimson, and grain, imported from Portugal – i.e., “vermus or vermilion” – in fact cochineal, a red so fast and permanent that the word “ingrained” had become in the fourteenth century, and still remains, a general term for a fast colour of any kind.
Contemporary Review, September 1883

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Grass green

Grass green, 1872 – There are some bright greens which are becoming to the face, but only a few shades. I say bright in contradistinction to sage. A dull grass-green with a slight yellow tinge in it is a picturesque color, and often proves a success in a woollen day-dress, – some material, that is to say, without gloss. In silks or satins it is nearly as coarse and unpleasant as a pure bright green, innocent of any hint of blue or yellow; and when worn, as hundreds of women persist in wearing it, with a mass of scarlet, is so horrible as to give positive pain to a sensitive eye. In any concert-room or large assemblage a scarlet opera-cloak usually covers a green dress, and is capped by a green bow in the hair. One may count these unmakes by the dozen; and they arise from the generally-diffused milliners’ creed, that scarlet and emerald must go hand in hand, because green and red are complementaries. The vulgarity and disagreeableness of this mixture ought to be apparent to anybody with the very rudiments of artistic feeling.
Every Saturday, November 16, 1872

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Porreye

Porreye, 1350 – Fr. Probably, leek-green colour, in cloth. In the Nominale of the 15th Cent. leeks are rendered ‘porray’. Stowe in his Survey mentions ‘medley brune and porre colour;’ which latter, however, he translates ‘purple.’ Lincoln, Kendal, Ghent, and Douai, were noted for their green cloths in the Middle Ages.
Liber Custumarum, 1860

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
Available at www.Mantua-Maker.com

Color of the Day - Absinthe

Absinthe, 1885 – The three new shades of green – cresson, chartreuse, and absinthe – have all a yellowish tint, and are consequently very trying to any complexions except those “whose red and white Nature’s own hand hath cunningly laid on.” These shades are mostly confined to millinery as yet, few being brave enough to appear in gowns of such trying hues.
Once a Month, September 15, 1885

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath and London Smoke
edited by Deb Salisbury
www.Mantua-Maker.com

A review of "Shadow Song"

"Shadow Song" by Lorina Stephens is a beautiful novel of historical fiction, very much in the British tradition.

The novel begins in 1830's England, but quickly moves to the wilds of Canada, and you can feel the author's love of this wild country and its native inhabitants.

The protagonist, Danielle Fleming, moves from an affluent life in England through trials which prepare her to withstand the harsh life in colonial Canada, and which open her to the beauties and the magic of the untamed forest. This is a story about growing up, in years as well as in wisdom. I don't want to say too much, as I don't want to give away any of the story. It is quite worth going on this journey for yourself.

This was a fascinating read. I couldn't put the novel down.

You can buy this novel at http://www.5rivers.org/, or at almost any online bookseller.

Why write a book about color?

I started writing Elephant's Breath & London Smoke to fill in my own ignorance of colors, especially Victorian era color, but the more I researched, the more colors appeared that I had never heard of before. And in reading Victorian transcriptions of Elizabethan wills, I discovered colors I had never dreamed of. What was Gallant color? I could take a stab at Ratte color, but what was Sad color? Some colors, like Chesen, I could only guess at, but others, like Russet (which started out gray!) I could define with the help of dictionaries written in 1440 and 1530.

I read or skimmed thousands of books – my bibliography is 12 pages long of sources I used, and not everything I used (usually if I only pulled a single reference from it) is in there.

I own hundreds of Victorian magazines, and I started by going through them and writing down every color definition I could find. That did not satisfy my curiosity, so I began to look in Google books. Jackpot! Sort of – the Victorian era books in Google caused me to expand the scope of the project. At first I just read fashion magazines. Fun stuff, but short on definitions. That lead me to look for early books on color – which turned out to be books on fossils and mineralogy in general. Lots of definitions! I was beginning to see the light!

And then I stumbled on Victorian transcriptions of wills and inventories. I became addicted to pre-1600 wills. To my great frustration, most wills written before, oh, 1450, were written in Latin. But there is the occasional will in old English, or in a mix of Latin and English. While hunting for definitions of the colors found in the wills (what was New color?), I found transcriptions of a 1440 English-Latin dictionary and of a 1530 English-French dictionary. They weren’t always helpful, but they proved that certain colors were colors and not just fabric types.

My book is available from my publisher, at http://www.5rivers.org/ in Canada, or online from Barnes and Nobles, Amazon.com, and Books-a-Million.

A review by Sandy and Pierre Pettinger

My sincere thanks to Sandy and Pierre for writing this review.

There is a wealth of sources for historical clothing and costume research. The variations in corsets, sleeves, skirts and jackets since the 16th century can be traced nearly to the year. Fashion reviews from the period are plentiful and not overly difficult to interpret.

But what do you make of a reference to an Abraham skirt with fauvre ribbon embellishments? Would you realize the skirt was a dingy yellow and the ribbons were deep yellow? Unlikely; and most sources would not be able to enlighten you. By dint of extensive research and library searches, you could probably find out, but the road would be difficult.

Elephant’s Breath & London Smoke helps address this difficulty. Historic costume researcher and pattern designer Deb Salisbury has collated references from hundreds of sources to produce this fascinating palette of colour names from the last 400 years.

She begins with the dictionary. Over 200 pages of color names and descriptions from Aaz (a red dye from India) to Zulu pink (a pale strawberry tinge). Dictionaries, of course, aren’t meant to be read straight through. But dipping into the entries a bit at a time and finding those gems of shade, pigment and language is a delight.

Deb also includes sections with commentary from various periods addressing colour and fashion, historical color names ( covering cloths, dyeing, make-up and even colours of horses and livery), colour symbolism and harmony of colour. It also touches on the conventions of mourning colors. These sections are wonderful to read. The words of the period are essential to understanding and appreciation of the fashions.

This book is a delight and an essential addition to any costume library.

And what are Elephant’s Breath and London Smoke? Well what would be the fun if we told you?

A review of my upcoming book

Many thanks to Frances Grimble for reviewing my upcoming book!

The intriguingly titled Elephant's Breath and London Smoke: Historical Colour Names, Definitions & Uses is focused specifically on colors for textiles. This is indicated by the quotes selected, and implicit in the book's introduction.

It is a straightforward work. The editor, Deb Salisbury, has expended an astonishing amount of industry in combing public domain sources for references to color names. And there they are, 231 pages of quotes, alphabetized by color name, with the sources for the quotes at the end of each. Varying color definitions from contemporary fashion magazines, quotes from Victorian books on Renaissance fashions, mentions of colors with no definition: It's all there. There is no color in the book--no swatches--but in fact, there is no way anyone can reliably match an old color description to a color on a Pantone fan. The author provides 42 pages of longer quotes on colors, things such as Victorian discussions of which colors best suit various complexions and hair colors. She does not attempt to summarize trends in color fashions or in color naming (a different issue from color use, and closely related to textile and fashion marketing), nor does she provide a history of dyeing technology. This is clearly intended to be a dictionary, not an analytical work. Sixteen pages of bibliography are provided so that the reader can compare them to the sources listed in the quotes, judge for himself or herself whether the source is reliable, and seek further information.

In summary, this book could considerably shorten the search for definitions of color names by providing quotes from numerous sources--fashion magazines and fiction as well as dictionaries and encyclopedias--and of different dates.

---Frances Grimble

Lavolta Press

Beginning a new year ...

My publisher gave me a New Year present - my first review for Elephant's Breath and London Smoke - and I am thrilled!

"Over the holiday season I received the manuscript for Elephant's Breath & London Smoke from Deb Salisbury, and I am simply stunned by the breadth, scope and monumental work of this book. I firmly believe it will become an indispensable reference tool for those interested in historical fashion and colour terminology, and I'll even go farther to say I believe Elephant's Breath & London Smoke will become synonymous with other great books such as those written by Janet Arnold, R.L. Shep and others. I cannot wait to release it."

She plans to release it in February. Her website is http://www.5rivers.org/ - please have a look!


I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year celebration.