Easter Eggs - Paas Dyes, White Rabbit Dye, onion skins, anilin

Paas Egg Dyes were first packaged by a pharmacist named William Townley of Newark, NJ in 1880 and patent 8355, Ap 12, 1881.

Now is the time to lay in a stock of the attractive Paas Dyes for Easter eggs, prepared and sold by WILLIAM M. Townley, of Newark, N. J. The dyes are put up in neat boxes containing sample eggs, and bits of worsted, silk, feathers, etc., to show the results of using them. Eggs that have been thus dyed can be eaten without fear of poisoning. Every one who had a stock of the dyes last year [1880 his first year] appears to have sold it out completely.

New Remedies    NY Feb 1881

Bio of  William Townley  (1842-1894)
“W. M. Townley was born in Union, Union County, August 9th, 1842. His first business experience was in his father's store in Elizabeth, going to school at the same time, and from there he came to Newark and entered the drug business as a clerk for Mr. Augustus Hill, the store being situated at 358 Broad street, now numbered as 861. In 1861 Mr. Hill sold out to Mr. E. Whitaker.

"In September of 1862 Mr. Townley entered the navy, serving as apothecary on board the blockading steamer Crusader for a year. At the expiration of this time he returned and again took a position with Mr. Whitaker. On the first of March, 1864, with Dr. E. P. Nichols, he bought out Mr. Whitaker, and under the firm name of E. P. Nichols & Co.” he partnered with others until opening his own store in 1877.   

For the past three or four years more time was given to specialties (Paas Dyes, etc.) and the drug business was being gradually given up.

William M. Townley joined the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association in 1872, the second year of its existence, and has since then attended every meeting. In 1888 he was elected Treasurer, and held this office at his death, which took place March 17, 1894."

Proceedings of the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association.  1894

Image 2 - full page National Druggist 1899

The Bulletin of Pharmacy  Detroit  March 1900

Competitor since 1888 - White Rabbit Paper Dye HERE, creative and colorful website HERE

Anilin from coal

Easter Egg Dyes.—“Iron Mountain.”—The dyes now commonly in use for Easter eggs are various anilin compounds, which are either directly soluble in water or may be made so by the use of a little alcohol. They can be put up of course as eoncentrated liquids to be added to the requisite quantity of water when desired for use.

The Druggists' Circular and Chemical Gazette.  April, 1892

Natural dyes

It is an old custom in Yorkshire, and still obtains at the present day, to send Easter eggs, which are dyed a brilliant colour, mostly yellow. The process consists in some cases in boiling eggs which have been previously wrapped in the colourless skins of the onion, whereby a peculiar mottled appearance is produced on the shell, the explanation being that the calcium in the shell acts as a mordant towards a colouring matter contained in the skin. Experiment has shown that there is present in the onion a considerable quantity of a glucoside of quercetin, and I have seen it stated that onion skins used to be collected on the continent for subsequent use in dyeing goods yellow

Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry.  May 31, 1903

PAST POSTS ON EASTER EGGS HERE and more Easter Eggs HERE


THIS WEEK'S TALKS

Apr 3 Mon 7AM 14:00CET Challenges and opportunities in pasta innovation. Dr. Antonella Pasqualone. How much is too much? Negotiating early modern drink consumption 1450-1800. Dr. Beat Kümin. BRIAS Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies Hybrid link HERE TAPE may be HERE

Apr 3 Mon 12 Cecilia Cardosa Matza and Sweet Lamb for her Passover dish. 16th cen. Porto, Cecilia Cardosa accused of eating Matza, grains and chestnuts for Passover. Special Passover cooking class. Sephardic Culinary History. Dr. Hélène Jawhara-Piñer. American Sephardi Federation. $12 HERE

Apr 3 Mon 1 Changing landscapes, animals and people in Britain during the Ice Age. Dr Hazel Reade. HERE

Apr 3 Mon 3 French Wine: From Bordeaux to Burgundy. Andres Medrano. Context. $26.50 HERE

Apr 3 Mon 6 Ask Me Anything Featuring Richard Munson author Tech to Table: 25 Innovators Reimagining Food. University of California, Merced HERE

Apr 4 Tue 6:30 Foods & Festivities in Elizabethan England. Francine Segan. AARP not have to be member HERE

Apr 4 Tue 8 Julia Child. portrayed by Dr. Leslie Goddard. Winnetka Public Library, IL HERE TAPE may be HERE

Apr 4 Tue 8:30 The Old Fashioned Cocktail. “used to refer to a very specific style of drink, celebrating the trinity of spirit, sugar, and bitters… trace the evolution of that drink.” Tammy’s Tastings $19 HERE

Apr 5 Wed 8AM The Early Medieval Teaglach - Material of early Irish households. “inside and around their houses in early medieval Ireland, with a focus on rural Ireland in the 7th/8th centuries AD.” Aidan O’Sullivan. National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology HERE

Apr 5 Wed 11-12:30 Clean Eating and Orthorexia: An Exploration of Twenty-First Century British Food Cultures. Louis Morgan. Warwick Food GRP HERE

Apr 5 Wed 8 Porchlight Products. “paid employment-training program and food production company that works with disabled and formerly homeless individuals.” Drew Niedercorn Director of Kitchen Programs at Porchlight oversees the five kitchen program sites. Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW) Hybrid HERE TAPE may be HERE

Apr 6 Thu 12-1:30 Dominionism & Domestication: The History of Animal Exploitation. Jim Mason author An Unnatural Order: The Roots of our Destruction of Nature. Animal Activism Mentorship HERE TAPE may be HERE

Apr 6 Thu 5-6:15 What Makes Specialty Cocoa? A webinar on specialty cocoa with industry thought leaders. Dr. Kristy Leissle, [fermentation Apr 26] HERE

Apr 6 Thu 8 Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites. Monica Eng, David Hammond. Chicago Foodways Roundtable HERE TAPE HERE

Apr 6 Thu 8 Miners, Martyrs, Shepherds, and Sowers: Shifting Landscapes of Faynan, Southern Jordan over the Last 2,000 Years. Ian W. N. Jones. Archaeological Institute of America. Hybrid HERE

Apr 7 Fri 11AM Historic Hot Cross Buns Workshop. Paul Couchman, The Regency Cook. £35.37 HERE

Apr 7 Fri 3:30 Easter food basket from Slovenia. “basket of local specialities which we bring to the local church to be blessed. On Easter Sunday this is going to be our breakfast.” Heygo HERE

Apr 9 Sun 9AM Eat like a Sultan! Cooking In The Muslim Medieval Ages. Professor Daniel L. Newman about medieval Arabic cooking. MACFEST - Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. HERE

Apr 9 Sun 6:30-8 Ancient Egyptian Lifestyle. Meet The Pharaohs Exhibition & Workshops. HERE


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