Acerca de
Berlin Conference (15, Nov. 1884 to 26, February. 1885) which is also know as Congo Conference or Scrumble of Africa.
About Naming. Naming in colonial perspective,
Around this period of Berlin Conference, a bright red textile dye was synthesized by a German company Bayer and sold its patent to AGFA. AGFA named the new dye "Congo Red". But the production as well as the technique of the new dye was nothing to do with the Congo. AGFA named it only because it was a catchy name for marketing aid in Germany at that time, because of the Berlin Conference was taking place.
The dye brought a major commercial success to AGFA. "In the following years, for the same reason, other dyes were marketed using the "Congo" name: Congo rubine, Congo corinth, brilliant Congo, Congo orange, Congo brown, and Congo blue."
Copy of Articles:
Dyeing for a diagnosis Biomedical History, Article Nov 2009, (Copy PDF)
Around this period of Berlin Conference, a bright red textile dye was synthesized by a German company Bayer and sold its patent to AGFA. AGFA named the new dye "Congo Red". But the production as well as the technique of the new dye was nothing to do with the Congo. AGFA named it only because it was a catchy name for marketing aid in Germany at that time, because of the Berlin Conference was taking place.
The dye brought a major commercial success to AGFA. "In the following years, for the same reason, other dyes were marketed using the "Congo" name: Congo rubine, Congo corinth, brilliant Congo, Congo orange, Congo brown, and Congo blue."
Copy of Articles:
Dyeing for a diagnosis Biomedical History, Article Nov 2009, (Copy PDF)
Around this period of Berlin Conference, a bright red textile dye was synthesized by a German company Bayer and sold its patent to AGFA. AGFA named the new dye "Congo Red". But the production as well as the technique of the new dye was nothing to do with the Congo. AGFA named it only because it was a catchy name for marketing aid in Germany at that time, because of the Berlin Conference was taking place.
The dye brought a major commercial success to AGFA. "In the following years, for the same reason, other dyes were marketed using the "Congo" name: Congo rubine, Congo corinth, brilliant Congo, Congo orange, Congo brown, and Congo blue."
Copy of Articles:
Dyeing for a diagnosis Biomedical History, Article Nov 2009, (Copy PDF)
Book:
Advertising Empire - Race and Visual Culture in Imperial Germany - by David Ciarlo
Reviewed on Advertising Empire: Race and Visual Culture in Imperial Germany. (Harvard Historical Studies, number 171.) by David Ciarlo Review by: Suzanne Marchand
Toshie's memo in reflection.
So, the name of "Congo Red" and its motivation of the naming made me think of the name of our occupation "Villa Kabila". Until the time when the group of the Congolese protestors broke in thus we faced to their struggle, no one in the group thought it was the problematic name. Almost everyone in the Hague who knew about the squatted embassy of the Congo, in my opinion, "liked" that name. Villa Kabila. I also thought it's funny name, because of this