From: Joachim Oppenheimer (joachim@microdsi.net)
Date: 09/22/03-03:14:03 PM Z
You're on the right track. The vast bulk of indigofera, the plant from which indigo was obtained, was harvested primarily in the Champarin district of Bihar State - arguably the poorest section in all of the Indian colony.. Mahatma Gandhi wrote extensively in 1917 about the plight of the farmers who had to dedicate a significant segment of their land to its production. When the economy changed after the German development of synthetic indigo from coal tar residue of illuminating gas production, these poor farmers had to pay a tax to the Brits equal to the lost revenue. The name "aniline" for the aniline dyes and pharmaceuticals (think aspirin) contains the word "Nile" - not an accident. The now plentiful synthetic indigo changed the entire perception of indigo as the restricted royal blue of royalty. All this began around 1834 and dragged on through the late 1890s (aspirin) into WWI when the German chemical industry continue to outstrip the British, who never recovered. Although Germany was blockaded and starved into defeat in 1918, they maintained their chemical superiority right up to the second WW when the US achieved dominance (but still can't make a red dye that won't run). Joachim
-----Original Message-----
From: Ender100@aol.com [mailto:Ender100@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 4:11 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Indigo wars
The comment about Indigo coming from the ink sacks of squid tickled my memory, for I seemed to recall back in the closet in my mind of quasi-useless trivia that there was an "Indigo plant". So I Googled it and came up with the information below. I would imagine the workers were easy to spot as they bathed in the Ganges River since they would be Indigo from knee down—now if they left their pants on when they stomped the Indigo in the vats, perhaps they could be credited with the invention of blue jeans. I did not see anyone with this "affliction" at Big Sur this spring, so I am thinking it is not a plant common to California, unless the resident artists in Carmel and Monterey have people come in from outside to stomp their grapes and their Indigo, which given the cost to live there, may very well be the case.
Woad is me.
Mark Nelson
purveyor of trivia
chemistry of natural and synthetic indigo dyes
Indigo
This dye has been used since Neolithic times in Europe. It was highly prized for it's colour and light fastness. Until the end of the 19th century, the sole source was from plants, woad (Isatis tinctoria) and Dyer's Knotweed (Polygonum tinctorum) in temperate climates and Indigofera species in the tropics. Woad was widely grown in Europe, making some regions, especially Toulouse (France) and Erfurt (Germany), very wealthy until the end of the 16th century. After that time, it was used to make a woad vat for dyeing with indigo from India.
How the dye was produced in India ...
The cut plant is tied into bundles, which are then packed into the fermenting vats and covered with clear fresh water. The vats, which are usually made of brick lined with cement, have an area of about 400 square feet and are 3 feet deep, are arranged in two rows, the tops of the bottom or "beating vats" being generally on a level with the bottoms of the fermenting vats. The indigo plant is allowed to steep till the rapid fermentation, which quickly sets in, has almost ceased, the time required being from 10-15 hours. The liquor, which varies from a pale straw colour to a golden-yellow, is then run into the beaters, where it is agitated either by men entering the vats and beating with oars, or by machinery. The colour of the liquid becomes green, then blue, and, finally, the indigo separates out as flakes, and is precipitated to the bottom of the vats. The indigo is allowed to thoroughly settle, when the supernatant liquid is drawn off. The pulpy mass of indigo is then boiled with water for some hours to remove impurities, filtered through thick woollen or coarse canvas bags, then pressed to remove as much of the moisture as possible, after which it is cut into cubes and finally air-dried.
Nature 1 November 1900
In a message dated 9/22/03 1:02:49 PM, jseigel@panix.com writes:
As for Katherine's claim that "The "real" indigo was actually made from
the inksacs of squid, and Judy's right that it hasn't been used in paint
for a long time, but that has nothing to do with this discussion..... "
and her fear that I would gloat over the careless mistake -- no, I
wouldn't, anyone can make a mistake or just get confused momentarily.
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