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2018

2025

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Book, A Nomenclature of Colours

This is a Book. It was written by David Ramsay Hay and printed by William Home Lizars and published by William Blackwood and Sons.

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives as part of Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.

It is dated 1846. Its medium is engraving with collage on paper.

David Ramsay Hay, a Scottish interior designer and Decorator to the Queen, was interested in developing a system for decorators and architects to understand and apply color harmonies. In contrast to the many color wheels of the period, Hay’s model is based on the triangle, which he believed to be the most harmonious of the geometric forms.

It is credited Gift of the Color Association of the United States, Smithsonian Libraries, ND1280 .H5n 1846.

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Its dimensions are

H x W: 20 × 29 cm (7 7/8 × 11 7/16 in.)

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-6.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/1108749947/ |title=Book, A Nomenclature of Colours |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 March 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>