The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC), the world's only professional body and educational charity dedicated to colour, is planning a number of events this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of mauveine, the first synthetic dye, by William Henry Perkin.
Perkin's recognition of the potential of mauve as a dye, coupled with his iron determination to commercialise it, was the spark that launched the modern synthetic chemical industry.
Commemorations to mark the occasion are being launched by the Society at the SDC Day of Celebration on 28 April 2006. As guest speaker on the day, Simon Garfield, author of the book Mauve, will add even more colour to the life and times of Sir William Henry Perkin, president of the Society in 1907, as the author celebrates the 'extraordinary scientific leap forward that changed the world forever'.
Guests at the dinner will include Adam Hart-Davis, members of the Perkin family and various dignitaries, as well as representatives of other chemical bodies including the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Society of the Chemical Industry (SCI).
Supported by the RSC and the SCI, along with other kindred bodies, a number of other events to celebrate the anniversary of Perkin's discovery are planned – from the special SDC Perkin Innovation Award to the culmination of celebrations at the SDC Colour Conference on 13 October 2006 in Belfast.
Other events to mark this occasion include publishing a review in Coloration Technology on Perkin's contribution to the global coloration industry, regional events (including the SDC Lahore Region annual conference 'The era of colour 1856–2006' on 2 June 2006) and competitions with a mauve-theme.
A special exhibition in the SDC Colour Museum is also planned which includes a number of exciting artifacts from the archives relating to Perkin.
Society of Dyers and Colourists
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