Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World
"Garfield's engaging story of William Perkin's accidental discovery is an informative mix of science, history, and biography."―Boston Herald
In 1856 eighteen-year-old English chemist William Perkin accidentally discovered a way to mass-produce color. In a "witty, erudite, and entertaining" (Esquire) style, Simon Garfield explains how the experimental mishap that produced an odd shade of purple revolutionized fashion, as well as industrial applications of chemistry research. Occasionally honored in certain colleges and chemistry clubs, Perkin until now has been a forgotten man.