William Henry Perkin Mauveine Patent Specification

William Henry Perkin (1838-1907) was a British chemist and entrepreneur. Born in London, England on March 12, 1838, Perkin attended the Royal College of Chemistry, where he studied under German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann. In 1856, while attempting to synthesize quinine from aniline, he accidently discovered mauveine (also known as aniline purple and Perkin's mauve), the world's first synthetic dye. Recognizing its commercial potential, Perkin obtained a British patent for mauveine in 1856 and opened a factory to manufacture it on a commercial scale in 1857. Perkin went on to discover and market several other aniline based synthetic dyes. He was the recipient of several awards, including the Royal Medal (1879), the Davy Medal (1889), and the Perkin Medal (1906) and was knighted by the British Empire in 1906. William Henry Perkin passed away on July 14, 1907.