When you need paint, Johnson has it, from the usual house paint to aniline wood dyes to oil and watercolor. (There’s an art-supply store upstairs— is that perhaps because more artists than we ...

Read Part 1 of this story. The discovery of aniline dye in the 19th century brought bright, permanent color into the Victorian world. These dyes, whose chemical components were derived from coal tar, ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...