Turkey Red cotton was discharge printed both in Glasgow, Scotland, Barnsley in Yorkshire and in Manchester. Turkey Red is made from the madder root, the special process coming from the Levant in the 18th century. This is a wonderfully vibrant unused piece.
From the 1860's colourful undergarments were produced using Turkey Red cotton, the designs often registered in an attempt to protect the copyright from rival manufacturers. I do not know who printed this piece of fabric. One printer was McLintocks of Barnsley, Yorkshire whose company was started in 1790 by Robert McLintock of Glasgow, a linen weaver. In McLintock's catalgoue they talk about Turkey Red discharge print as Turkey Chintz - at the time the word chintz had its original meaning of many coloured rather than a glazed cotton as we know it today.
Printed with Indian inspired leaves and flowers on meandering stems, using mid blue and green, yellow, touches of black on a scarlet fine twill weave cotton ground.
11ft 6 in x 29 1/2 in; 3.45 m x 35 cm
Mint. Unused.
National Museums Scotland undertook a project in 2012 on Turkey Red. It is well worth reading their findings.www.nms.ac.uk/colouringthenation
Quilt Studies. The Journal of The British Quilt Study Group. Issue 1, 1999.
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