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