Color of the Day - Alexandra blue

Alexandra – Born at Copenhagen, Dec. 1, 1844. Daughter of Christian IX. of Denmark and wife of Edward VII., king of England, whom she married March 10, 1863.
Century Cyclopedia of Names, 1904

Alexandra blue, 1863 – The beautiful colour which has received the name of Alexandra blue,
What-Not, April 1863

Alexandra blue, 1872 – It is worth noting that ultramarine, in a very deep shade (when it borrows the name “Alexandra,” “royal,” &c., according to the period), is one of the most unbecoming colors that can be placed near the face in masses. Its brilliancy lends a yellow hue to the skin, while its deepness withholds the gray shadows cast by pale blues, which are so valuable to delicate complexions: it should be shunned alike by the florid and the fair.
Every Saturday, November 16, 1872

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
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Color of the Day - Turquoise

Turquoise, 1872 – Turquoise blue, …is a most beautiful pale color, less cold than indigo, yet colder than ultramarine, …In dress, when not too brilliant, it is exceedingly becoming, especially to fair persons, adding gray to the shadows of the complexion, enhancing the rose of the cheek and any shade of yellow latent in the hair. It is, though not the brightest, the most penetrating of all blues.
Every Saturday, November 16, 1872

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
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Color of the Day - Royal grene

Royal grene, 1380 – Among the most popular were “royal grene;” which from ancient miniatures we should judge to have been a fine grass-green with a distinct dash of yellow in it, like the colour of a sunlit leaf.
Contemporary Review, September 1883

excerpt from: Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
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Color of the Day - Milk and water

Milk and watter, 1562 – Maye 21, 1562. … one clock {cloak} of colour called milk and watter.
Wills and Inventories from the Registry of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, 1853

Milke and water, 1587 – iiij yds of milke and water
Wills and Inventories from the Registry at Durham, 1860

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Wool Export Colours in 1747

Only coloured Cloths are fent to the Levant; but they are different, according as they are defined for Perfia or Smyrna.

The Colours for Smyrna are, Scarlet, or red Crimfon, Violet, Purple, Green, Prince Colour, and Cinamon. Thofe for Perfia are, Ifa belle, Feuille morte, Yellow, Citron, Orange, Flefh Colour, Celadon, clear Purple, Rofe Colour, Carnation, Amarante, grey Pearl, Blue, Lead Grey, and Scarlet.

Memoirs of Wool, &c., 1747

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Color of the Day - Coralline

Coralline – (Peonine). A deep red coloring matter … In tone it is perfectly distinct from magenta, being a red, as its name intimates, resembling that of the peony and of coral. … An outcry is at present raised against its use, on the ground of alleged poisonous properties, which are probably much overstated.
Manual of Colour and Dye Wares, 1870

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In the reign of Elizabeth I

A runaway page was thus defcribed in the reign of Elizabeth

These are to pray you, &c. to make hew and cry for a yonge stripling aged twenty-two years, with one doblet of yellow million fuftion, the one half buttoned with peche coloured buttons, the other half laced downwards. One payer of peche coloured hofe, laced with fmall tawney lace. A graye hat, with a copper edge round it; a pair of watched ftockings. He hath two clokes, the one of veffey collor, garded with two yards of black cloth and twifted lace of carnacyon collor, and lined with crimfone bayes; the other is a red fhipp ruffet colour, ftriped about the cape; and gown the fore face twifted with two rows of twifted lace; ruffet and gold buttons afore and upon the fholdier, being of the clothe itfelf, fet with the faid twifted lace, and the buttons of ruffet filk and gold.”

Antiqu. Repertory, Vol. II.
The British Critic, October 1797

excerpt from:
Elephant's Breath & London Smoke
A Dictionary of Color in History
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Color of the Day - Popinjay

Popinjay, 1735 – To dye a Popinjay-Green. Make a weak lixivium of pot-afhes, fuch as the country people wafh their clothes with, put into it Indigo a fufficient quantity; then put in your things to be dyed (being firft dyed yellow), let it boil, the longer the better, fo will the colour be good.
Dictionarium Polygraphicum, 1735

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A Dictionary of Color in History
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Color of the Day - Scarlet

Scarlet, 1607 – Scarlet cloth was supposed to be endued with medicinal virtues, of which an instance is given by Dr. Gaddesden, who is said to have cured a patient of the small-pox by wrapping him in a scarlet cloth. “And these applied with a right scarlet cloth.” B. Jonson’s Volpone.
Glossary and Etymological Dictionary, 1834

excerpt from:
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A Dictionary of Color in History
edited by Deb Salisbury
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Color of the Day - Mordoré

Mordoré, 1791 – by uniting thefe two mordants, alum and iron, we have mixed colours, inclining to red on the one hand, and to black on the other, fuch {such} as mordoré and puce colour. … various colours may be obtained from madder united with yellow fubftances. It is in this way, that mordoré and cinnamon colours are produced;
Elements of the Art of Dyeing, 1791

Mordoré, 1798 – Is a dark dirty Crimfon Red; a mixture of Crimfon and a little Brown.
Philosophy of Mineralogy, 1798

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A Dictionary of Color in History
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Color of the Day - Black and Dyers Black

Black , 1775 – abfence or want of light and colour, owing to a body’s reflecting no rays of light. Dyers black, for ftuffs of a high price, is compofed of indigo, woad, boiled with alum, tarter or afhes of lees or wine, maddered with common madder, and mixed with gall-nuts of Aleppo, copperas and fumach. The beft black cloth fhould be firft dyed blue.
Royal English Dictionary, 1775

Outtake from:
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A Dictionary of Color in History
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Color of the Day - Proserpine

Proserpine – The new colors of the season are chiefly intended for evening dress. … Proserpine-color is perhaps the newest of all; it is a dark but brilliant shade of crushed-raspberry, a good deal deeper than the hue, of that name, which was so fashionable a few seasons ago, but in the same gamut of tones.
Peterson's Magazine, April 1886

excerpt from:
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A Dictionary of Color in History
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Color of the Day - Claie

Claie, 1600 – Item, one rounde kirtle of claie-colour satten, or terr’ sigillata, enbrodered all over with flowers of Venice silver and blacke silke. {Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe}
Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth, 1823

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Colour Language: 1904

We have a colour language, but it is not accurate. We all begin our existence by feeling an interest only in self, and by taking the mouth as our centre. And even when, grown older, we show an interest in the doings of our neighbours and the aspect of things near us, we still give evidence that our own mouth is our starting point of interest and comparison. Take up a book of sample papers, and observe the names you give to the colours. “This is lemon colour,” you say; “and here is cream colour, and blue, and crushed strawberry. And that is biscuit colour, and here are orange, cherry colour, and chocolate.” You may not mention “salmon colour” or “oatmeal,” or “applegreen,” &c., yet, almost certainly, many of your colour names will be taken from the orchard and the larder. We note this tendency even in Chaucer, who said that one thing was “as white as Maine bread,” and another “as green as a leek.” The simple woman, then, and the great poet make colour names by comparison, and very good and forcible names they are. But we do not stop here. Fashionable dressmakers have given us a new vocabulary, and many of their names appear to have their origin in mere caprice. They change so rapidly, too, that we cannot be sure very long of their meaning. “Réséda” was once green. Now it is a kind of blue. Ecru may mean one thing to one person – another thing to other persons. It would be just as reasonable to teach a perishing dialect, instead of the English language, as to teach this new colour vocabulary of an hour.
Education Through the Imagination, 1904

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Aniline dye, 1876

Aniline , 1876 – The Most Beautiful Colors are made by the use of Leamon’s Aniline Dyes. They are strongly con­centrated solutions, and one bottle will color an astonishing amount. No other dye-stuff approaches then in ease and simplicity of use, and none are so economical. If you have anything you can save by making the color as good as new, give them a trial. Very full directions with each package, for all uses. The colors are remarkably fast and brilliant. Any shade or color can be made. All druggists sell them.
World of Fashion, May 1876

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Color of the Day - Sage

Sage, 1900 – Sage Green. Interpretation: Lifelessness, inanity, also Vulgarity, Coarseness, Vileness.
Auras and Colors, 1900

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Color of the Day - Claret

Claret, 1900 – Moody, Distrust, Suspicion, Weakness, Passion.
Auras and Colors, 1900

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Color of the Day - Antwerp blue

Antwerp blue, 1900 – Beauty, Power, Nobility, Integrity.
Auras and Colors, 1900

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Color of the Day - Khaki

Khaki, 1883 – an earthy or grey clay colour, now largely used to dye the uniform of soldiers. “Khaki” is the name given to a sect of Vaishnava Hindus founded by Kil, a disciple of Krishna Das. They apply ashes of cowdung to their dress and persons, hence the name of khaki given to them.
Economic Products Of India, 1883

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Color of the Day - Abraham

Abraham, 1600 – Abraham-colour, supposed to be a dingy yellow. Archdeacon Nares thinks it a corruption of auburn, which was sometimes written abron, … but the greater probability is, that Abraham was depicted in the old tapestries with a yellow, or rather an orange tawny, beard, and hence that colour, or something resembling it, derives its name.
Glossary and Etymological Dictionary, 1834

Abraham, 1602 – in an old play called Blurt Mafter Conftable, or The Spaniard’s Night-Walk, 1602: “over all, / A goodly, long, thick, Abraham-colour’d beard.”
The Plays of William Shakspeare, 1793

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