Mauve by Simon Garfield

Mauve

How one man invented a color that changed the world

by Simon Garfield

Norton, 2002, colour photographic plates, paperback, ISBN 0393323137

Very Good Condition, some wear to edges and covers, spine uncreased

'In 1856 eighteen-year-old English chemist William Perkin accidentally discovered a way to mass-produce color.  In this "witty, erudite, and entertaining tome" (Esquire), Simon Garfield explains how the experimental mishap "revolutionized organic chemistry - and fashion" (Newsweek).  Mauve not only took the fashion world by storm when Queen Victoria wore it at her daughter's wedding in 1858, but the invention of this new color also sparked interest in industrial applications of chemistry research, which led to the development of explosives, perfume, photography, modern medicine, and today's plastics industry.  The New York Times Book Review noted that 'the delight of this book is seeing parallels to present-day trends."
Perkins is honored with the odd plaque and bust in colleges and chemistry clubs but is otherwise a forgotten man.  With great wit, scientific savvy, and historical scope, Simon Garfield delivers an "engaging story [that] is an informative mix of science, history, and biography" (Boston Herald)'