embroidery pattern ink

[Jenny Barnett <andelos@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear colleagues,
  I am investigating 5 embroideries from the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
 They are designed by the French artist Emille Bernard and executed between
 1898 and 1903 by his mistress (surprise, surprise!). Bernard worked some
months in 1889-90 as designer for the textile manufacturer Beaumier in Lille
that seems to have woven tapestries. Between 1993 and 1904 he lived and worked
 in Egypt. The embroideries are large (75 x 50cm to 177 x 97cm), framed with
 glass and worked in wool on jute, cotton embroidery canvas and linen in
horizontal  bands of long, vertical stitches.
  
  Most of the embroideries have been enlarged in size by adding strips of
cotton and linen fabric to the sides. On one example, the cotton strips are
printed with three different designs. Two are broderie anglais edging patterns.
When first examined a year ago these patterns were blue (as far as I can remember)
now they are brown. The third print is blue and depicts the middle part of
a laurel wreath encircling the words, 

> ...............   
>     
>   Bonheur des Dames 
>     
>    Tonnere
>   
  Apparently this has something to do with a French department store. The
fabric could be packaging.
  
  My questions are as follows:
  1. what is the composition of this kind of ink, "encre a décalquer pour
broderie", used on stamps and rollers (tampon & roulette a reproduire)
to print the design to be embroidered and which is easily removed from the
fabric afterwards by washing. Information about the product from other countries
 would also be useful as it may well have the same composition.
  2. Has anyone else observed the colour change from blue to brown with this
 kind of ink?
  3. Can anyone tell me more about this department store: the name, location
 of headquarters, period of operation.
  4.  Does anyone have information about Beaumier and the designs Bernard
made there.
  
  Possible references for any of these questions would be greatly appreciated.
  
  In addition to fully describing and identifying all elements of each embroidery,
 various other aspects will be investigated, for example:
  -a white deposit on the inside of the glass
  -the ink of the design drawn onto the embroidery canvases
  -photographic images made under infra-red and UV light
  -inventarisation and description of all embroidery yarns
  -dye analysis
  
  The investigation and research results will be published in various articles.
 All contributions received through this query will be fully acknowledged.
  
  with thanks,
  
  Jenny Barnett
  
  textile researcher and consultant
  Oude Looiersstraat 65-67
  1016 VH Amsterdam
  NETHERLANDS
  tel/fax 00 31 (0)20 427 18 27
  andelos@xxxxxxxxx