The Cultural History of Color
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Source: Jacobson, Egbert (1942): The Color Harmony Manual and How to Use It. Chicago: Color Laboratories Division, Container Corp. of America. Credit: Faber Birren Collection, Yale University. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Secondary Sources
Batchelor, David (2000): Chromophobia. London: Reaktion.
Batchelor, David (ed.) (2008): Color. Cambridge, MA.: MIT Press.
Brusatin, Manlio (1999): La storia dei colori. Milan: Einaudi. (in Italian)
Gage, John (1993): Color and Culture. Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Gage, John (1999): Color as Meaning. Art, Science, and Symbolism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Pierotti, Federico (2016): Un’archeologia del colore nel cinema italiano. Dal Technicolor ad Antonioni. Pisa: Edizioni ETS, on pp. 195–196. (in Italian) View Quote
Riley, Charles A. (1995): Color Codes. Modern Theories of Color in Philosophy, Painting and Architecture, Literature, Music, and Psychology. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.) (2011): Farben in Kulturgeschichte und Naturwissenschaft. Hamburg: Tredition. (in German)
Cultural History of Color in Film
Belton, John (2001): Color. From Novelty to Norm. In: Gian Piero Brunetta (ed.): Storia Del Cinema, Vol. IV., Turin: Einaudi.
Bergala, Alain (1995): La couleur, la Nouvelle Vague et ses maîtres des années cinquante. In: Jacques Aumont (ed.): La Couleur en cinema. Milan: Mazzotta, pp. 126–136, on pp. 126–128 View Quote, on pp. 128–131 View Quote and on pp. 133–135. (in French) View Quote
Cauda, Ernesto (1938): Il cinema a colori. Quaderno mensile. Roma: Bianco e nero, anno II, nr. 11, on pp. 5–7 View Quote and on pp. 101–102. (in Italian) View Quote
Hanssen, Eirik Frisfold (2006): Early Discourses on Colour and Cinema. Origins, Functions, Meanings. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.
Hanssen, Eirik Frisvold (2009): Symptoms of Desire. Colour, Costume, and Commodities in Fashion Newsreels of the 1910s and 1920s. In: Film History, 21,2, 2009, pp. 107–21.
Jackson, Victoria; Lameris, Bregt (2014): Phantom Colours. Alice Blue and Phantom Red. Changing Meanings of Two Fashionable Colours (1905-1930). In: Catwalk. The Journal of Fashion. Beauty and Style, 3,2, 2014, pp. 19–46.
Kattenbelt, Chiel (1996): Color and the Absence of Color in Early Film Theories. In: Monica Dall’Asta, Guglielmo Pescatore and Leonardo Quaresima (eds.): Il colore nel cinema muto. Bologna: Clueb, pp. 116–132, on pp. 117–132. View Quote
Kindem, Gorham (1979): Hollywood’s Conversion to Color. The Technological, Economic and Aesthetic Factors. In: Journal of the University Film Association, 31,2, 1979, pp. 29–36.
Koshofer, Gert (1988): Color. Die Farben Des Films. Berlin: Wissenschaftsverlag Volker Spiess. (in German)
Malthête, Jacques (1982): Couleurs, coloris et colorants dans les ‘Star’ films. In: Cahiers de la Cinémathèque, 35–36, pp. 156–159. (in French) View Quote
Montesanti, Fausto (1954): Lineamenti di una storia del film a colori. In: Giuseppe Sala (ed.): Bianco e Nero. Il colore nel cinema. Rassegna mensile di studi cinematografici, XV,2-4, pp. 11–51, on pp. 11–12 View Quote and on pp. 45–48. (in Italian) View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2012): La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema. Genova: Le Mani-Microart, on p. 27 View Quote on p. 199. (in Italian) View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2016): Un’archeologia del colore nel cinema italiano. Dal Technicolor ad Antonioni. Pisa: Edizioni ETS, on pp. 36–41 View Quote, on pp. 89–90 View Quote, on pp. 114–115 View Quote and on p. 170. (in Italian) View Quote
Wall, E. J. (1923): The Chances of Color Photography in Motion Pictures. In: American Photography, 17, Mar., pp. 166–170, on p. 166 View Quote and on pp. 168–169. View Quote
Yumibe, Joshua (2012): Moving Colors. Early Film, Mass Culture, Modernism. New Brunswick et al.: Rutgers University Press.
Costume Design
Babiuch, Marian (1954): Der Maskenbildner und das Schminken für den Farbfilm. In: Bild und Ton, 7, p. 143. (in German) View Quote
Basten, Fred E. (1980): Glorious Technicolor. The Movies’ Magic Rainbow. South Brunswick: Barnes, on pp. 71–73. View Quote
Burger, Rosa (2002): Contemporary Costume Design. Dress Codes und weibliche Stereotype im Hollywood-Film. Wien: WUV. (in German)
Deutelbaum, Marshall (1987): Costuming and the Color System of Leave Her To Heaven. In: Film Criticism 11,3, pp. 11–20.
Landis, Deborah Nadoolman (2013): Hollywood Costume. New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.
Leese, Elizabeth (1991): Costume Design in the Movies. An Illustrated Guide to the Work of 157 Great Designers. Courier Corporation.
McLean, Adrienne (ed.) (2016): Costume, Makeup, and Hair. Reprint edition. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Color Symbolism
Biesinger, Albert; Braun, Gerhard (1995): Gott in Farben sehen. Die symbolische und religiöse Bedeutung der Farben. München: Kösel. (in German)
Goodman, Nelson (1968): Languages of Art. An Approach to a Theory of Symbols. 1978 ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.
Heller, Eva (2002): Wie Farben wirken. Farbpsychologie. Farbsymbolik. Kreative Farbgestaltung. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt. (in German)
Luckiesh, Matthew (1918): The Language of Color. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co..
Pastoureau, Michel (1992): Dictionnaire des couleurs de notre temps. Symbolique et société. 2007 ed. C. Bonneton. (in French)
Color in Art, Architecture and Interior Design
Bättig, Adrian (2008): Die Antike war Farbig. In: Applica, 23–24, 2008, pp. 50-52. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2009): Dunkles Zeitalter in hellem Licht. In: Applica, 2, 2009, pp. 25-27. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2009): Im Übergang von der Kontur zur Kolorierung. In: Applica, 3, 2009, pp. 22-25. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2009): Die Ehrliche Auffassung von Farbe. In: Applica, 7, 2009, pp. 2-4. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2009): Farbe um 1850. Bahnbrechende Erkenntnisse. In: Applica, 9, 2009, pp. 26-28. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2009): Im Jugendstil kamen die Farben nach der Natur. In: Applica, 11, 2009, pp. 26-29. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2010): Klassische Moderne. Farben betonen die Geometrie der Baukörper. In: Applica, 1, 2010, pp. 14–17. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2010): Von Knallbunt bis Erdigbraun. Die Sechziger- Und Siebzigerjahre. In: Applica, 3, 2010, pp. 22–28. (in German)
Bättig, Adrian (2010): Farbe als gestalterische Herausforderung der Gegenwart. In: Applica, 5, 2010, pp. 4–9. (in German)
Birren, Faber (1965): History of Color in Painting. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Eaton, Natasha (2013): Colour, Art and Empire. Visual Culture and the Nomadism of Representation. London: IBTauris.
Finlay, Victoria (2014): The Brilliant History of Color in Art. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.
Fischer, Lucy (2003): Designing Women. Cinema, Art Deco and the Female Form. New York: Columbia University Press, on p. 14 View Quote and on p. 81. View Quote
Heer, Jan de (2013): The Architectonic Colour. Polychromy in the Purist Architecture of Le Corbusier, Rotterdam: 010 Publishers.
Horrocks, Chris (ed.) (2012): Cultures of Colour. Visual, Material, Textual. New York: Berghahn.
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 71–73. View Quote
Zollinger, Heinrich (1999): Color in Art and Other Cultural Activities. In: Zollinger, Heinrich (1999): Color. A Multidisciplinary Approach. Zürich: Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, pp. 161-231.
Color in Consumption and Design – Color Norms
Basten, Fred E. (1980): Glorious Technicolor. The Movies’ Magic Rainbow. South Brunswick: Barnes, on pp. 67–71. View Quote
Birren, Faber (1945): Selling with Color. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Birren, Faber (1961): Color Psychology and Color Therapy. New Hyde Park, NY: University Books.
Birren, Faber (1969): Principles of Color. A Review of Past Traditions and Modern Theories of Color Harmony. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Birren, Faber (1972): Light, Color and Environment. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Blaszczyk, Regina Lee (2012): The Color Revolution. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Eiseman, Leatrice (2000): Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books.
Eiseman, Leatrice; Recker, Keith (2011): Pantone. The 20th Century in Color. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Holm, Wilton R. (1957): The Elements of Color in Professional Motion Pictures. Prepared by a Special Committee of the Society. New York: The Society of Motion Picture Engineers, on p. 40 View Quote and on pp. 41–42. View Quote
Kalmus, Natalie M. (1935): Color Consciousness. In: Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 25,2, 1935, pp. 139–147. View Quote on Page: Technicolor No. IV: Three-strip
Mitchell, Robert A. (1959): Color in Motion Pictures and TV. 1. In: American Cinematographer, 40,9, Sep., pp. 616–617, pp. 625–626, on p. 616. View Quote
Pierotti, Federico (2016): Un’archeologia del colore nel cinema italiano. Dal Technicolor ad Antonioni. Pisa: Edizioni ETS, on pp. 171–176. (in Italian) View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 11–13. View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on p. 15 View Quote and on p. 114. View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 233–234. View Quote
Troland, Leonard T. (1927): Some Psychological Aspects of Natural Color Motion Pictures. In: Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, 11, 26.9.1927, pp. 680–698, on pp. 691–692. View Quote
Color Systems
Color System. Color Order Systems in Art and Science. Online
Albers, Josef (1970): Interaction of Color. Grundlegung einer Didaktik des Sehens. 1994 ed. Köln: DuMont Schauberg.
Burton, David (1984): Applying Color. In: Art Education, 37, 1984, pp. 40–43.
Chevreul, Michel Eugène (1839): De la loi du contraste simultané des couleurs, Paris: Pitois-Levrault. (in French)
Itten, Johannes (1970): Kunst der Farbe. Ravensburg: Ravensburger Buchverlag. (in German)
Kuehni, Rolf G.; Schwarz, Andreas (2008): Color Ordered. A Survey of Color Systems from Antiquity to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Munsell, Albert Henry (1915): Atlas of the Munsell Color System. Malden, Mass.: Wadsworth, Howland & Co..
Munsell, Albert Henry (1919): A Color Notation. New York, Munsell Color Co..
Ostwald, Wilhelm (1917): Die Farbenfibel. Leipzig: Verlag Unesma. (in German)
Ostwald, Wilhelm (1918): Die Harmonie der Farben. Text. Verlag Unesma. (in German)
Schmuck, Friedrich (1983): Farbsysteme und Farbordnungen. In: Kunstforum International, 57, 1983, pp. 163–179. (in German)
Spillmann, Werner (2009): Farb-Systeme 1611-2007. Farb-Dokumente in der Sammlung Werner Spillmann. Basel: Schwabe. (in German)
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 29–30. View Quote
Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua (2019): Chromatic Modernity. Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. New York: Columbia University Press, on pp. 34–35. View Quote
Color Nomenclature
Berlin, Brent; Kay, Paul (1969): Basic Color Terms. Their Universality and Evolution. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Eco, Umberto (1985): How Culture Conditions the Colours We See. In: Blonsky, Marshall (ed.) (1985): On Signs. A Semiotics Reader, pp. 157–75. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Hardin, C.L.; Maffi, Luisa (eds.) (1997): Color Categories in Thought and Language. Cambridge: University Press.
Zollinger, Heinrich (1999): How Do We Name Colors. In: Zollinger, Heinrich (1999): Color. A Multidisciplinary Approach. Zürich: Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, pp.123-159.
(Bibliography compiled by Noemi Daugaard and Josephine Diecke, SNSF project Film Colors. Technologies, Cultures, Institutions directed by Prof. Dr. Barbara Flückiger, 2016)
See abstract on the University of Zurich’s research database (in German).
