This is how a pyrotechnic composition, crimson/red stars, might change in 145 years:
From Browne, an Englishman, 1868:
Strontium nitrate 49.2
Potassium chlorate 24.6
Sulfur 18.5
Chertier's copper 3.1
Fine shellac 3.1
Fine charcoal 1.5
From George Washington Weingart, once the most known American pyrotechnician, 1947:
Strontium nitrate 38.7
Potassium chlorate 38.7
Charcoal, airfloat 12.9
Red gum or shellac 6.5
Dextrin 3.2
From David Bleser, also an American, around 1995-2000:
Strontium nitrate 38
Potassium chlorate 38
Charcoal, airfloat 12
Red gum 6
Hexachlorobenzene 2
Dextrin 4
From me, 2013:
Strontium nitrate 39.5
Potassium chlorate 39.5
Charcoal, airfloat 12
Red gum 7
Chlorowax or PVC 2
Why and how did it change?
First of all, back in Browne's days, firework stars were small and slowly burning. Chemicals were of poor quality. So they mixed potassium chlorate with sulfur, which is a reactive but dangerous composition. As if that wasn't enough, they also added the extremely instable Chertier's copper for quicker burning and higher ignitability. Back then it was considered stable, though. Everything that didn't explode spontaneously was considered stable in 1868.
In Weingart's version the sulfur and Chertier's copper are removed, although Weingart still used picric acid for another red composition! The amounts of strontium nitrate and potassium chlorate are now equal. Stochiometrically they have almost the same oxidizer value, so it is suitable. Weingart used dextrin as a binder. He lived in New Orleans, so it was no problem drying the stars. Back in Browne's days the binder was a shellac solution, not included in the formula.
David Bleser changed it very slightly and added 2% of hexachlorobenzene, a chlorine donor. He too used dextrin as a binder, living in California, if I remember correctly.
Hexachlorobenzene is now impossible to get hold of, so I use either chlorowax or PVC. Parlon is also an option. Chlorowax melts at a low temperature but PVC on the other hand burns at a high temperature, making the colour more brilliant, which is important since this composition contains no metal fuels.
With the humidity here dextrin isn't a good option as a binder. The hygroscopic strontium nitrate will maybe never fully dry. So I use the red gum as the binder and in the alcohol used as solvent I have 10% phenolic resin, which is also a binder but not as good a fuel as red gum.
