Carolina Blues: Indigo on the Cape Fear in Conjunction with the Maritime Museum at Southport

Don’t be blue – we have lots of indigo for you! This subtropical plant was an incredibly important commodity in the Carolinas of the 18th century. In conjunction with the Southport Maritime Museum, we will be exploring the process used by skilled enslaved African labor to extract this valuable dye from the indigo plants - and delve into the science behind dye production. Visitors will have a chance to view and work an active fermentation vat, and dyeing demonstrations will occur throughout the course of the program.