Posting to the Azure Blue
September 9, 2018 5:43 PM   Subscribe

Werner's Nomenclature of Colours (previously) is an 1821 system of describing colour shades designed by Abraham Werner and Patrick Syme, and was used by used by scientists such as Charles Darwin to accurately and reproducibly describe the natural world. There is now a beautifully-produced online version by Nicholas Rougeux.
posted by Rumple (11 comments total) 57 users marked this as a favorite
 
Related, from a week ago in the New Yorker - Treasures from the Color Archive
posted by stevil at 6:37 PM on September 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


I use a similar-to-Werner system, "Why Archaeologists Love Brown. These little books cost almost 200 bucks.
posted by Rumple at 6:51 PM on September 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


Good, we finally found a solid, celebrated, historical rebuke to this nonsense!
posted by es_de_bah at 7:43 PM on September 9, 2018


This should be made into an app! Imagine just pointing your phone at something and learning it is the characteristic color of Tail Feathers of Black Cock.
posted by Vesihiisi at 11:43 PM on September 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


I'm imagining that, without the app even
posted by Rumple at 12:05 AM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]


In the 1830s, travelling in Europe with his parents, The young Ruskin made himself a 'cyanometer' to accurately record the shades of blue in the southern skies. I wonder if he was aware of this system.
posted by TwelveNoteRow at 1:44 AM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]


The cyanometer was invented in 1789 by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure.
posted by zamboni at 8:08 AM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]


I have the book right next to me.

On my screen MeFi blue looks closer to #24, Azure Blue, Breast of the Emerald Crested Manakin, Grape Hyacinth, Gentian, Blue Copper Ore.
posted by Dr. Curare at 2:08 PM on September 10, 2018 [3 favorites]


My mycology professor had a huge book of colors in his library so he could exactly describe the color of mushroom spores in a spore print. It's one of those things you don't realize are important until you do realize it.
posted by acrasis at 3:59 PM on September 10, 2018


When FanFare supports books we can start posting stuff like this to the Auricula.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 5:20 PM on September 10, 2018


Vesihiisi: This should be made into an app!

Not an app, but here's a Google Docs spreadsheet with hex values, also made by Nicholas Rougeux.


Jpfed: When FanFare supports books we can start posting stuff like this to the Auricula.

Posting books to FanFare has been open to all for over two years (MetaTalk), which makes me feel older now :(
posted by filthy light thief at 11:28 AM on September 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


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