Whistler Studios Circa Poison Greens - Truly Icky Greens!

A popular 19th Century green fabric dye containing arsenic was often called Paris Green. A reference to the poison, containing arsenic, used to kill the rats in the sewers/slums of Paris.

Previous green motifs on textiles were a two step process..yellow over dyed with indigo or indigo over printed with a yellow.

Carl Scheele invented a new more brilliant 1 step green dye based on copper arsenite in 1775.

By 1814 a newer version was being used not only for textiles (cotton yardage, carpets, ribbons and gloves) but also for wall papers, confections, artificial flower leaves and paints for children's toys. France, Sweden and Prussia limited it's use by 1845. Great Britain and the United States and others did not ban it until much later. Calicos as late as 1887 were still dyed with an arsenic based dye for a mint green.

Tarlatan....an open weave cotton fabric...often dyed and heavily starched was popular for mid 19th Century ball gowns. Having the most fashionable color...a green from an arsenic based textile dye...could mean you would be shedding 20-30 grains of poisonous pigment while briefly (1 hour) dancing.

See our new line of Poison Greens printed with 21st Century dyes!

Recommended reading.."Bitten by Witch Fever" Lucinda Hawksley. Thames and Hudson 2016