A different result in purpleSourced
The dye emerged beside a search for quinine
In 1856, William Henry Perkin was working toward synthesizing quinine when experiments produced an intense purple substance. Interested in painting and photography, he investigated it with a friend and his brother as a potential dye. The useful result differed from the original aim.
The intended product was not the only result worth examining.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
Source and reuse details
William Henry Perkin · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05