Dyes for Sale

DYES FOR SALE

This pocket size salesman's sample advertising display for the Italian dye company Super-Iride unfolds vertically to reveal 48 dyed fabric samples in vibrant colors. These examples of azo dyes, a synthetic or 'coal tar' dye derived from petroleum rather than a dye sourced from plants and minerals, are resistant to fading from the sun and repeated washings so considered excellent for dyeing wool, cotton, and silks. This brand is well known for the advertising graphic of a looming red devil drawing forth a rainbow of color from a wooden barrel depicted on the top panel.  

— Written by Clara Drummond (Special Collections) 
 
Super-Iride: Prodotto Chimico Brevettato di Fama Mondiale …
Prato: Ditta Ruggero Benelli, ca. 1910  
Purchased with funds from the Paterno Libraries Endowment Fund, 2020