The British Colour Council Dictionary of Colours for Interior Decoration

[British Colour Council]

A scarce colour sample book, with all samples present. These three volumes were produced by the British Colour Council with an intention to standardise colours across the interior decoration trade. A decorator could use their copy of the dictionary to specify to a manufacturer exactly which colour they wished to achieve. The books became an invaluable aid and, although over 7,000 copies were printed, few survive because they were used so extensively as working tools. Each of the 378 colours are shown on three surfaces - matt, gloss and pile fabric (carpet). There are 35 colours where no pile fabric sample is included because 'it was not considered advisable to dye that particular colour on pile fabric owing to the possibility of fading or discolouring in a comparatively short space of time'. Volume 3 includes a list of the colour names and their history.


Robert F. Wilson & B. K. Battersby. Foreword by John P. Glass. British Colour Council. London. 1949. First edition. Copy no. 3087 from an edition of 7,500. 3 volumes, in red buckram slipcase; 2 swatch volumes bound in red buckram with a screw fastening binder, text volume bound in matching red buckram. 23 fold-out sheets of colour swatches in volumes 1 and 2, with black card viewing strip loosely inserted in front of each volume; xxii, 34 pages in text volume. 378 colours pictured in 1099 swatches. English. 285 x 225mm. 3.5kg. . Good; slipcase has split along some of its edges, some uneven fading, buckram lifting slightly in places; outer hinges of both sample volumes are cracked, spines rubbed and faded; slight spotting to sample pages; a fragile binding but with the samples all present.