Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
I have a collection of vintage Highland Dress catalogues and statements like this are seen in some of the earlier ones:

"The dyes used by the Highlanders in colouring their tartans were produced from lichen roots and Highland plants, the colours so produced being mellower and more lasting than the somewhat harsh tints of 19th-century aniline dyes...it has now become possible to reproduce with a certain new process the old light and delicate shades yielded by the vegetable dyes which often disclose unsuspected beauties in the design of tartans which have appeared commonplace when manufactured with ordinary aniline dyes...

Indeed this type of tartan has deservedly become exceedingly popular…." (1936)

So in the 1930s the so-called "ancient" colourway was becoming "exceedingly popular" though I don't think it had all that much to do with actually recreating the original appearance of 18th century tartan.

Then in the 1940s Dalgleish came out with their "reproduction" colourway which supposedly recreated the look of tartan buried for 200 years in a peat bog or something. Once again I think it was about marketing more tartan rather than historical accuracy. Lochcarron named their version "weathered" colours.
Richard, very interesting references that push back my understanding of date of the introduction of both colourways. Whose catelogue does the Ancient Colours reference come from? And do you have a 1940s Dalgliesh catelogue referencing Reproduction Colours?