The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Qupperneq 39

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
37

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ICELANDIC FLOAT, UTAH PIONEER DAY, JULY 24th
On July 24th, each year, Utah cele-
brates Pioneer Day, to commemorate the
entry of the pioneers into the Great Salt
Lake Valley. In view of the fact that the
Icelandic settlers who arrived in 1855,
came only 8 years later than the origin-
al group that founded the common-
wealth, the committee in charge request-
ed that an Icelandic float be included in
the parade this year.
The float represents a Viking ship,
with a dragon head at the prow and
Viking shields on the sides. Standing at
the bow of the ship is Miss Norma Bearn-
son, “Fjallkonan”, with Rayona Leifson;
they typify Icelandic Motherhood and
Childhood. Others on the float are: Mary
Jane Jarvis, Marlene McKell, Jane John-
son, Mary Alice Bullen, Laurel Argyle
and Faye Fennessy. They are all third
generation descendants of the original
settlers. The parade was witnessed by
40,000 people.
Dyes Are Important
★
Dyeing is an ancient industry. The
Chinese, Persians and Indians used
natural dyes (that is dyes obtained from
plants), many centuries ago. Indigo is
probably one of the oldest dyes known,
and Tyrian purple from a species of
snail, is another. The Egyptians knew
how to produce very brilliant colours,
and the Italians were renowned in the
13th and 14th centuries for their skill
and taste in dyeing.
Until the 19th century only natural
dyes were used but since then the use of
synthetic dyes (the majority of which
are prepared from coal tar) has been
developed into an art, although the old
natural dyes are still preferred for work
of high artistic value.