A small, cardboard, Tintex brand dye box printed with an illustration of a woman holding a garment over a sink. Contained a small paper packet, pictured on the right, that contains the powdered fabric dye. Dye instructions are printed on the packet and box.

Dyes are charged, water-soluble, organic compounds that chemically bind with fabric. The affinity of the dye for the fabric depends on the molecules and the interactions between them.

The Park and Tilford Company was established in 1840 when Joseph Park and John Mason Tilford opened a retail store in New York City. They specialized in imported goods, perfumes, and liquors. These goods included Tintex brand dyes. At the end of Prohibition in 1933, the business eliminated goods and products from its inventory to focus on spirits. Park and Tilford was a major distilling company from the end of Prohibition until the 1950s.