6 replies to this topic

[Arthur Brown]

Historians, what fireworks were "available" in the 18th Century? Almost specifically what was there for the fireworks that were accompanied by G F Handel's Music for the royal fireworks in 1749.

 

http://en.wikipedia....alFireworks.jpg

 

indicates that there were several different styles available.

 

When exactly did the first colours become available, Was it when chlorates were invented, when was that? 

[Mortartube]

I think that there are references to your questions in Brocks book!

[helix]

The first proper colours were developed by Chertier in the 1820's when he developed the use of chlorates.  I would think colours would be limited to perhaps zinc fuelled stars before that but would need to check.

[fruitfulsteve]

Is this related to our discussion about 'the book of fires' ? I think the book was set around that time.

 

Do you know wat Chertier's first name is ?

[Arthur Brown]

Not intentionally related. 

[Peret]

Brock's "History of Fireworks" has some information. There is a color plate facing page 52 reproducing a watercolor of a display in 1749, clearly showing red, yellow and green effects. These colors could be done with just nitrates, but the compositions would have been closely guarded trade secrets so it's not surprising nothing is written about them.

 

Potassium chlorate was discovered in 1786 by Berthollet and pretty soon acquired a fearsome reputation - "the shocking deaths of two individuals in October 1788, and the burns others have suffered by it, render it feared by chemists in general." But Ruggieri was probably using it before 1800 and he was the first to use metal salts with a chlorine donor.

Edited by Peret, 20 April 2014 - 07:32 AM.

[Arthur Brown]

Interestingly Audot indicates that there were lots of fireworks machines -all driven by firework drivers and lit by something akin to lances. Possibly these were precursors to the Maltese Iridien, and possibly they could be made to function using modern cadded articles.

If anyone cares to translate the on line PDF of Audot from French I think it would make interesting reading.

 

 

Having now read Cutbush and Bates books, there are some things I think we are better without especially the lead, arsenic and mercury compounds that seem to pop up so regularly in their mixtures.

 

added:

FEUX D'ARTIFICE

pyrotechnics.no-ip.org/files/audot%20bw%20pt1.pdf‎

Translate this page

 

But sadly google translate wouldn't do the whole book and the PDF says part 1 and I can't find the rest, -if it's ever been scanned.

Edited by Arthur Brown, 20 April 2014 - 10:10 AM.