The Manufacture of Lake Pigments from Artificial Colours: Investigating Chemistry and Recipes in the First Book on Synthetic Dyes-Based Lakes

In 1900, Francis Herbert Jennison’s book The Manufacture of Lake Pigments from Artificial Colours was published in London. In the early 20th century, the technical literature focussing on synthetic dyes mainly dealt with their use for dyeing. Conversely, the literature on lake pigment manufacture is less comprehensive, and Jennison’s publication was the first monograph on this topic. His book comprises descriptions of the dyes, substrates, and various methods for lake making. Practical examples complete the work: sixteen colour plates with original samples of lake pigments showcase the practical effect on colour of the different dyes and preparation methods. Herein, we present an overview of the context of Jennison’s research and delve into a selection of formulations. Green lake pigment plates were sampled and analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with spectroscopic and spectrometric detectors and by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to correlate the chemical composition with the recipes reported in the book. Seldom or no longer used and unexplored historical dyes were detected, along with polyphenolic compounds possibly used as precipitating agents in lake pigment formulations. Moreover, the examination of two different editions of the Jennison manuscript (i.e., the English and German books) revealed different chemical profiles corresponding to the same lake pigment formulation. This emphasizes the significance of Jennison’s book, confirming how understanding of early formulations is needed to elucidate the later ones.