- This event has passed.
January 22 – Desert Dyes – The Colors of Tucson’s Presidio
Join us on Thursday, January 22nd at 6 pm at Whiskey Del Bac for a special collaborative educational seminar with the Presidio San Agustin! This interactive lecture and cochineal demonstration will provide insight into the traditional methods to dye fabrics from an historical perspective, led by Educator and Engagement Specialist at the Presidio, Wolf Whitney-Hul.
While most people don’t know it, one of the most valuable Spanish exports from their colonies in North and South America can be found in yards and empty lots across Tucson. Learn why this dye was so critical to the economy of New Spain, what made Europeans so obsessed with the rich red color it produced, and what other materials people in both Europe and Southern Arizona were using to color their clothes! This talk will culminate in a demonstration of cochineal’s unusual chemical properties and how those properties can be manipulated to make many more colors than just red.
A native of Savannah, Georgia, Wolf Whitney-Hul moved out west to study archaeology in 2014 and has spent the years since excavating everything from neolithic flint quarries in England to American pharmacies from the 1940s. After working for CRM archaeology companies in Tucson, they currently run educational programs and archaeology demos at the Presidio San Augustín del Tucson Museum, interpreting the origins and history of one of the oldest inhabited areas in North America.
Tickets for this event are $10.00 and proceeds will be split with the Presidio San Agustín, to support their mission of allowing Tucson to experience our city’s history first hand. All ages are welcome to attend, we require that all guests under 21 be accompanied by an adult.
Half of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Presidio San Agustín in Tucson.
