old tartans were "simple and earthy"

[Ninehostages]

In your list of natural sources for dyes you missed out animal. Cochineal and Lac, both Shield Insects, were important sources of red in the 18th century. Urine was used in the extraction of indigotin (blue) dyes, principally Indigo and Woad, it is not a mordant used for fixing dyes.

Yes, artificial dyes can be bright; equally, they can be dull as in the Reproduction range. It is completely incorrect to say that the wide colour palate available to today's weavers didn't exist back then either and the wild and wonderful combinations available now would have been beyond their wildest imaginings. Almost every colour and shade, or ones very similar, were available from traditional natural dyes as this inexhaustive range shows.



There are original examples discussed in these papers An Unnamed late 18thCentury Fancy Plaid and A Joined Plaid dated 1748.

Thanks for the lesson! Since most of the tartans out there seem to date from the Industrial Revolution period (except for a few earlier military ones) I guessed that the big breakthrough was driven by the aniline dyes that appeared in the mid 1800s.

[figheadair]

Since most of the tartans out there seem to date from the Industrial Revolution period (except for a few earlier military ones) I guessed that the big breakthrough was driven by the aniline dyes that appeared in the mid 1800s.

The first aliline dye was Mauveine, also known as aniline purple and Perkin's mauve, discovered by William Perkin in1856.

Using the Britannica definition 'the term Industrial Revolution was first popularized by the English economic historian Arnold Toynbee (1852–83) to describe Britain’s economic development from 1760 to 1840. Since Toynbee’s time the term has been more broadly applied.' then all tartan during that period would have been naturally dyed. This period said the invention and classification all the traditional military and most of the Highland clan tartans and many of the early Lowland ones too.

[GG]

I always wince when I see one particular longsword team with the swords in their left hands.

Although I am kerry handed, people simply were not allowed to be left handed up to maybe a century ago.

Anne the Pleater

No, Anne, not even a century ago. At least to the mid-fifties left-handed at my school were forced to write with their right hand.

Otherwise, you are spot on.

Greg.

[Tobus]

No, Anne, not even a century ago. At least to the mid-fifties left-handed at my school were forced to write with their right hand.

Otherwise, you are spot on.

Greg.

I have a twin brother who is left-handed (we are "mirror twins"). Even in the 1970s and 1980s when we were growing up, they were trying to get him to overcome his genetic deficiency (as they saw it), making him write with his right hand.

[Father Bill]

I have a twin brother who is left-handed (we are "mirror twins"). Even in the 1970s and 1980s when we were growing up, they were trying to get him to overcome his genetic deficiency (as they saw it), making him write with his right hand.

I'm really sorry and frankly annoyed to hear that. I started teaching in 1972 and would never have considered such nonsense. If you're a southie, that's just fine with me and always was.

[McMurdo]

I have a twin brother who is left-handed (we are "mirror twins"). Even in the 1970s and 1980s when we were growing up, they were trying to get him to overcome his genetic deficiency (as they saw it), making him write with his right hand.

I'm a twin, my brother is right handed I'm a leftie. They never tried to change me from that. I am glad that they didn't that is until I write with pencil and get it all over myself. ;)

[OC Richard]

At least to the mid-fifties left-handed at my school were forced to write with their right hand.

In West Virginia, as a schoolgirl in the beginning of the 20th century my Grandmother was forced to write righthanded.

For whatever reason her son, as a schoolboy in the 1930s, was allowed to write lefthanded, and his children were as well (my siblings). I'm the only right-hander in the family, with both parents and all siblings lefthanded.

I hate to hear about people being forced to switch hands. It happens in piping too, with ignorant teachers, who force their students to play righthanded. The students are told that playing righthanded is the only proper way. Seems that it's mostly an American thing, because in Scotland there have always been lefthanded players:

[Jock Scot]

No, Anne, not even a century ago. At least to the mid-fifties left-handed at my school were forced to write with their right hand.

Otherwise, you are spot on.

Greg.

I had the same problem in the mid to late 1940's in Scotland and most of the 50's in England. At one time there were regular daily beatings with a metal edged ruler for writing left handed, I have the scars on my left hand to prove it. After that mental cruelty was the tactic................. I still write left handed.