Elijah Bemiss

In 1806, when Bemiss' Dyer's Companion first appeared, the American dyeing industry was beset with problems: Europe was trying to maintain control of the market, and American dyers were often undertrained with recipes selling from master to apprentice "for twenty and thirty dollars each." To remedy this situation Elijah Bemiss wrote his book. Today Bemiss' work is still important for seeing the exact methods of natural dyeing and understanding the life of the dyer in the early nineteenth century.

If you are wanting to use natural dyes the reader will find this book helpful to extend your list of useful dyes and colours. It allows you to see the materials, the equipment and the way of life of one of the most important craftsmen of the early years of the American republic. A great many of the dyes are able to be reproduced today.… (mais)