The Dye House of the Nonotuck Silk Company Panel

The dye house of the Nonotuck Silk Company, circa 1900. From "SILK: its origin, culture, and manufacture," a booklet published by the Nonotuck Silk Company at the turn of the century.

The Dye House of the Nonotuck Silk Company
Skeins of Silk

Jodie McKenzie, a student at Smith College, dyed these skeins of silk with natural dyes (madder, indigo, and other plant materials) of the type used in the Northampton silk industry in its early years. Synthetic dyes, discovered in 1856, replaced natural dyes over the next few decades.

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This page was last modified on Monday, August 26, 2002.