Colouring the Nation

*Showcases the huge archive of Turkey red patterns and samples *In both the scope and detail of the new research and in the focus on textile manufacturer's pattern books, the project, of which this is the book, was a unique undertaking *Will be of interest to textile and fashion historians and craft workers such as quilter Turkey red was a dyeing process that produced a washable shade of red that was overprinted with exotic patterns and became a staple for clothing and even furnishings -- for shawls, bandanas, dresses, saris and it was important in quilt-making. Sold from North America and the West Indies, to India and China, the major production hub was Western Scotland. in an industry that employed thousands of workers. All this came before synthetics, and there is growing interest today in textile production before our modern technologies. Interest comes from the fashion trade, historians and craftspeople. Colouring the Nation: The Turkey Red Printed Cotton Industry in Scotland c 1840-1940 is a collaboration between the National Museums Scotland and the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh.
Examples are from 100 manufacturers' pattern books and 40,000 individual textile patterns acquired by the NMS. Turkey Red got its name because the color originated in the Eastern area of the Mediterranean region. The manufacturing process involved 13 - 20 steps that made it colorfast but also expensive. The color is bright but had a slightly blue tint. The early pieces were a solid color. Between 1840 and 1870 the mid century prints had a Turkey Red back ground and included Black, Yellow, Blue and Green figures.