Sorry for the delay in this post, but I had to check a document here at the office. My main point was, I don't think Prussian blue was used for to dye a dark navy blue. Rita Adrosko, in "Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing," says that Prussian blue can produce a "brighter blue" than indigo. She also says it wasn't used to color fabric in the U.S. until 1832--don't know about Britain. I also have in my notes that Prussian blue was primarily used to dye silk and cotton. Prussian blue was used as a paint pigment before it was used to color textiles. Matthew Mosca, one of the leading paint analysts in this country, did a study of one of our rooms at the Riversdale House Museum. He identified the pigment as Prussian blue, which on our walls was a "moderate greenish blue." He further says that "the best grades of prussian blue produce bright blues, sometimes tending toward a slightly green color. The poorer qualities of prussian blue generally are weaker pigments and give a somewhat purplish tone." Of course, the pigment may react differently on fibers than on walls. I think I have seen textiles that tend toward the greenish-blue, but I can't document that right now. Ann Wass
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