Initiating a renewal

Plant colors were in danger of falling into total oblivion were it not for the determination of a few people who have been fighting for their recognition and revival for several decades. Researchers, first and foremost, like Helmut Schweppe in Germany. In France: Dominique Cardon, historian at the CNRS, whose tireless work and numerous books and publications on plant colors have made her one of the world's leading specialists in this field. Other researchers gathered around this theme to form the DHA group: Dyes in History and Archaeology.

Alongside them, a few brilliant color lovers: Michel Garcia or Henri Lambert (who revived Bleu de Lectoure) in France. In Anglo-Saxon countries: a handful of users, often stemming from the close-to-nature movements of the 1960s.

In 1995, two projects initiated by regional technical centers contributed...