James Thomson (calico printer) facts for kids
James Thomson (born 1779, died 1850) was a clever English chemist who became famous for his work in calico printing. Calico printing is a way of adding colorful designs to cotton fabric. He was recognized for his important discoveries and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1821. This is a special group for top scientists.
Early Life and Career
James Thomson was born in Blackburn, a town in Lancashire, England. When he was studying at Glasgow University, he became good friends with a poet named Thomas Campbell.
The Thomson family had connections with the Peel family, who were very important in manufacturing and politics in Lancashire. Around 1795, James Thomson started working for Joseph Peel & Co., a company that printed calico in London. He worked there for six years. Joseph Peel was the uncle of Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, who later became a famous Prime Minister.
While in London, Thomson met two other important scientists: William Hyde Wollaston and Humphry Davy. Davy became a very close friend. They even worked together on ideas about acids. Thomson was brave enough to breathe in Davy's nitrous oxide (sometimes called laughing gas) in 1799 as part of their studies! In 1801, Thomson helped with talks for Count Rumford to hire Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution, a famous science center.
Innovations in Calico Printing
In 1801, James Thomson started his own business, the Primrose Works, near Clitheroe in Lancashire. He worked with partners to create high-quality printed fabrics. This factory operated until 1854.
Thomson was very good at inventing new ways to print fabrics. In 1813, he got a special English patent for a process called "Turkey red" from Daniel Koechlin. This process made a very bright red color that lasted a long time. Thomson also invented his own method for making "indigo blue" using potassium bicarbonate.
Many talented people worked for Thomson. Walter Crum FRS, another important chemist, worked with him for two years. Thomson also employed Richard Cobden around 1826 and Lyon Playfair around 1841. These people later became famous in their own fields.
In 1833, James Thomson shared his knowledge with a special committee in Parliament. He gave evidence about trade, manufacturing, and shipping, helping the government understand these important areas.
Contributions to Rees's Cyclopædia
James Thomson also wrote many articles for Rees's Cyclopædia. This was a very large and important encyclopedia of the time. He wrote about how textiles were made and printed.
Here are some of the topics he wrote about:
- Colour-making in Calico-Printing (1808/9): How to create colors for printing fabric.
- Copper in Calico-printing (1808/9): The use of copper in the printing process.
- Copper Plate Work in Calico-Printing (1808/9): How copper plates were used to transfer designs onto fabric.
- Cotton (1809): He wrote about cotton and defended the good name of Richard Arkwright, who invented important cotton spinning machines.
- Dipping in Calico-Printing (1809): Different ways to dip fabric during printing.
- Discharging of Colour (1809): How to remove color from certain parts of the fabric to create patterns.
- Manufacture of Cotton (1812): A detailed look at how cotton was made into cloth. John Farey, jr helped with drawings for this article.
- Spinning (1816): The process of turning cotton fibers into thread.
- Printing, Calico (1819): A general article about the entire calico printing process.
