Tuscan Red
Encyclopedia
Tuscan red is a shade of red that was used on the passenger cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad
, as well as on the PRR TrucTrailers. It also was used extensively by the New South Wales Government Railways
in Australia, in a similar fashion to the PRR. The Canadian Pacific Railway
used it historically and painted its luxury revival cars in this color. It is also a Prismacolor
colored pencil.
The first recorded use of Tuscan red as a color name in English
was in the early 1800s (exact date uncertain).
The color was popular in the late 19th century but non-standardized. It became the ‘signature color’ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which instituted specifications for its formulation. Before the 1880s, pigments extracted from Brazil wood were used in its manufacture, but these proved inadequate in terms of hiding power and stability.
A 1916 US National Bureau of Standards circular describes it as based on Indian red, which derives its color from iron oxide
s. The color was then modified by treatment with an alizarin
lake pigment
. The pigment’s stability lent itself to hard use in applications such as rail cars and machinery. Lower-cost imitations were made without iron oxides by using gypsum
or whiting
as a base and adding aniline
dyes.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, as well as on the PRR TrucTrailers. It also was used extensively by the New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
in Australia, in a similar fashion to the PRR. The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
used it historically and painted its luxury revival cars in this color. It is also a Prismacolor
Prismacolor
Prismacolor is a brand of professional artists' supplies originated by Berol in 1938, and now manufactured by Newell Rubbermaid. Among the items in the Prismacolor line are colored pencils, Art Stix, pastels, watercolors, and alcohol-based permanent art markers....
colored pencil.
The first recorded use of Tuscan red as a color name in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
was in the early 1800s (exact date uncertain).
The color was popular in the late 19th century but non-standardized. It became the ‘signature color’ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which instituted specifications for its formulation. Before the 1880s, pigments extracted from Brazil wood were used in its manufacture, but these proved inadequate in terms of hiding power and stability.
A 1916 US National Bureau of Standards circular describes it as based on Indian red, which derives its color from iron oxide
Iron oxide
Iron oxides are chemical compounds composed of iron and oxygen. All together, there are sixteen known iron oxides and oxyhydroxides.Iron oxides and oxide-hydroxides are widespread in nature, play an important role in many geological and biological processes, and are widely utilized by humans, e.g.,...
s. The color was then modified by treatment with an alizarin
Alizarin
Alizarin or 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent dye, originally derived from the roots of plants of the madder genus.Alizarin was used as a red dye for the English parliamentary "new model" army...
lake pigment
Lake pigment
A lake pigment is a pigment manufactured by precipitating a dye with an inert binder, usually a metallic salt. The word lake is a homonym of lake as body of water and does not refer to it....
. The pigment’s stability lent itself to hard use in applications such as rail cars and machinery. Lower-cost imitations were made without iron oxides by using gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
or whiting
Whiting
Whiting is the name of several species of fish:*Merlangius merlangus, the original species to receive the name; a common food fish of the cod family found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean around Europe and the Mediterranean regions...
as a base and adding aniline
Aniline
Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the prototypical aromatic amine. Being a precursor to many industrial chemicals, its main use is in the manufacture of precursors to polyurethane...
dyes.