December, 2011

Georgian Group - Fitzroy Square
Dec 29th, 2011 | | Aesthetics | History | 37 Comments

Painting of Georgian Buildings

In 1950 the Georgian Group issued the above sheet offering advice to householders on the external painting of Georgian buildings. The suggestion was that, in spite of continued post-war shortages, there would be a...

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Corktex
Dec 25th, 2011 | | Paint Technical | No Comments

Parsons’ Decorative Finishes (16) – Parsons’ ‘Corktex’

A previous post has already introduced the subject of a most useful work that was published in the 1930s - Parsons' Decorative Finishes. Subsequently I have used it as a 'prompt' for posts dealing with Water...

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Colour and Lighting - Gloss Colours
Dec 23rd, 2011 | | Aesthetics | Colour Ranges | 2 Comments

Colour and Lighting in Factories and Offices

In these days, when an ability in Interior Design is often seen to be no more than the selection of a completely impractical 'chalky paint' from a ‘Boutique’ paint supplier and an artfully placed pair of old...

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Scheme 4
Dec 23rd, 2011 | | Colour Ranges | 2 Comments

Ministry of Works Colour Schemes

MINISTRY OF WORKS COLOUR SCHEMES (Official Colour Card No. 1 1952)* This little aid to the decoration of Ministry of Works offices of the early 1950s really is little, measuring only 16.5cm x 6.5cm. However, as...

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Ridgway Frontispiece
Dec 16th, 2011 | | Colour Ranges | 2 Comments

Ridgway Color Standards and Color Nomenclature

Robert Ridgway was an American ornithologist, who was the first full-time curator of birds at the United States National Museum. He served from 1880 until his death in 1929. Ridgway also published one of the...

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Fresh Peas - with thanks to Gerry the Cook
Dec 9th, 2011 | | Colour Ranges | History | Comments Off

Pea Green

Fresh Peas - with thanks to Gerry the Cook Pea Green is a colour name that immediately conjures up an image, but on reflection is it the colour of fresh peas, frozen peas, tinned peas or (forgive the accent) mushy...

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ISCC-NBS cover
Dec 5th, 2011 | | Colour Ranges | No Comments

A Dictionary of Color Names

The ISCC-NBS Method of Designating Colors and A Dictionary of Color Names was published by the National Bureau of Standards and printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office in 1955. It is a curious work, and...

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Plate 1 - Nomenclature of Colours
Dec 3rd, 2011 | | Aesthetics | Colour Ranges | No Comments

Hay’s Nomenclature of Colours (1)

Plate 1 The Primary Colours above and the Secondary Colours below1 A Nomenclature of Colours, Hues, Tints, and Shades, Applicable to the Arts and Natural Sciences; to Manufactures, and other Purposes of General...

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BS Flat Finishes
Dec 2nd, 2011 | | Colour Ranges | History | No Comments

Colours for Flat Finishes for Wall Decoration

British Standard 1572: 1949 Colours for Flat Finishes for Wall Decoration was a range of paint colours designed for the Ministry of Works for the purpose of interior decoration. This range of 17 colours (two...

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