Cape (Talma) made of lace, anonymous, c. 1860 - c. 1870
silk, More details
It was difficult to obtain bright purple with natural dyes. In 1856, English chemist W.H. Perkin accidentally discovered a synthetic purple pigment which became known as mauveine. This rich new purple caught on in the 1860s. And the relatively inexpensive industrial production made it accessible to a wide public.
