Notes from the archive

It’s that time again. For our June round-up, our historical collections officer Shelley Hollingdrake describes her biggest ‘wow’ moments uncovering early colour ordering systems – from 19th-century dyers’ notebooks to original samples of notable discoveries. Dive in…

First of all, what is a colour order system?

Both wonderful and intriguing, a colour order system is a rational and systematic way of arranging all possible colours or subsets by means of material samples. Once the colours are arranged, they’re then numbered or given names based on different descriptive terms.

The idea of using a three-dimensional colour solid to represent all colours was developed during the 18th and 19th centuries. Several different shapes for such a solid were proposed, including: 

• A double triangular pyramid by Tobias Mayer in 1758
• A single triangular pyramid by Johann Heinrich Lambert in 1772
• A sphere by Philipp Otto Runge in 1810
• A hemisphere by Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1839
• A cone by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1860
• A tilted cube by William Benson in 1868
• A slanted double cone by August Kirschmann in 1895

These systems became progressively more sophisticated, with Kirschmann’s even recognising the difference in value between bright colours of different hues. However, they all remained either purely theoretical or encountered practical problems when accommodating all colours. None were based on any rigorous scientific measurements of human vision: in fact, before Munsell, the relationship between hue, value, and chroma was not understood.

Treasures from the collection

As you can imagine, it’s been an absolute delight to uncover early colour ordering systems, from 19th-century dyers’ notebooks to original samples of notable discoveries.  

But imagine our particular delight, if you will, when we came across a 1915 version of the Atlas of the Munsell Colour System. As with many fantastic finds, the outer wear and tear of this fascinating artefact hid delightful treasures inside: pages of Munsell’s early concepts originally published in 1913, with handwritten notes from a previous owner. 

It was one of those moments that reminds you of the importance of shining a light on what has gone before, particularly as the current custodians of such influential and awe-inspiring collections. Every discovery we make, preserve, and showcase reinforces the significance of our work.

What’s next?

As always, our goal is to continue making new discoveries, preserving these collections, and providing access for you and future generations to enjoy the rich history of colour science. To make access easier, we’re dedicated to building a digital platform for you to explore our archives from the comfort of home. Stay tuned for exciting updates and discoveries, or browse our blog for more fascinating insights in the colour community.