Pyrotechnics, the art of creating lights, colors and noise for pure aesthetic fun, is inextricably linked to gunpowder , the quintessential Chinese invention. Although we should not forget India either; if not, let’s remember the expression ‘Bengal lights’. Gunpowder reached Europe from the hands of the Arabs, who were already building rockets for military purposes in the 7th century, taking advantage of the incendiary capacity of gunpowder more than its mere explosive power. Since then, gunpowder has been linked to the military, as the word “artificer” demonstrates. This expert in the use of explosives had, in times, the obligation to prepare the spectacles in which the end of a war was celebrated … as long as it had ended in victory. Defeat has never inspired too many celebrations.
Gunpowder entered the West through Spain and then passed to the rest of Europe. Alchemists and military men developed and tested different mixtures,but always using saltpeter, potassium nitrate, as oxidant,a compound that does not allow too many highlights in theFireworksbut yes in military applications. Around the year 1300 the profession of pyrotechnic was consolidated, a truly multifaceted occupation, since in addition to party rockets they dealt with material for muskets, thrown bombs and cannon charges. These explosive artisans kept a jealous secret regarding their technique and the compounds used.
In the seventeenth century, fireworks were present in all palace festivals in Europe. There were two schools or tendencies among the bomb squad: the German, more concerned with the search for new chemical combinations, and the Italian, more concerned with aesthetic considerations. As we can see, even in this, things have not changed much …
In the 18th century Versailles and London competed for who had the prettiest fires, even though the colors were pale and haggard.But in 1780 chemists came up with a new oxidant, potassium chlorate, causing an explosion of bright, vivid colors between 1800 and 1825. PTo top it all, in 1854 a Frenchman named Chertier published a book that revealed the best-kept secrets of the trade: among other things, he described what salts to use to obtain the main colors.
Of course, this revelation did not end with the profession and even today the master bombers continue to keep the proportions in which the different compounds must be mixed like gold in cloth. And all so that this summer we enjoy, as every year, great pyrotechnic shows.
