! Colour (BOOKRING)
Registered by rem_DYI-991976 on 4/24/2004
11 journalers for this copy...
Synopsis
On a journey that takes her from Afghanistan to the Australian outback, to ancient caves in China and the saffron harvest in Spain, Victoria Finlay gives an account of the history of colour. Part travelogue, part narrative history, this study unlocks the history of the colours of the rainbow and reveals how paints came to be invented, discovered, traded and used. It remembers a time when red paint really was the colour of blood, when orange was the poison pigment, blue as expensive as gold and yellow made from the urine of cows force-fed with mangoes. It looks at how green was carried by yaks along the silk road, and how an entire nation was founded on the colour purple. "Colour" lifts the lid on the historical palette and unearths a wealth of stories about the quest for colours and our efforts to understand them.
On a journey that takes her from Afghanistan to the Australian outback, to ancient caves in China and the saffron harvest in Spain, Victoria Finlay gives an account of the history of colour. Part travelogue, part narrative history, this study unlocks the history of the colours of the rainbow and reveals how paints came to be invented, discovered, traded and used. It remembers a time when red paint really was the colour of blood, when orange was the poison pigment, blue as expensive as gold and yellow made from the urine of cows force-fed with mangoes. It looks at how green was carried by yaks along the silk road, and how an entire nation was founded on the colour purple. "Colour" lifts the lid on the historical palette and unearths a wealth of stories about the quest for colours and our efforts to understand them.
Will read this before next weekend and start it out on a bookring.
Book Ring Rules (Adapted from psychjo and kleptokitty)
1) Everybody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - one month?)- but in a joyful speed. It's not about how many books someone can read within a certain amount of time - it's about enjoying it...
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Enjoy :-)
Participants
jazz-ee22 (UK) (passing onto caro1 and asked to be added to the end of the running)
caro1 (UK)
nice-cup-of-tea (Switzerland)
ermintrude75 (UK)
caligula03 (US)
Heathwitch (UK)
PatchworkPerson (UK)
wilksie
Squirk (UK)
KittyNic (UK)
russp (UK)
angellica (UK)
bookfrogster (UK)
jazz-ee22 (UK)
MrsPotage (UK)
Lisagt (Oz)
Cocobarks (US)
Etchesketch (US)
Megi53 (US)
Airehead (Canada)
lauraloo29 (Canada)
jherusalem (US)
Joanthro (US)
fio-dagua (Portugal)
Book Ring Rules (Adapted from psychjo and kleptokitty)
1) Everybody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - one month?)- but in a joyful speed. It's not about how many books someone can read within a certain amount of time - it's about enjoying it...
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Enjoy :-)
Participants
caro1 (UK)
nice-cup-of-tea (Switzerland)
ermintrude75 (UK)
caligula03 (US)
Heathwitch (UK)
PatchworkPerson (UK)
wilksie
Squirk (UK)
russp (UK)
angellica (UK)
bookfrogster (UK)
jazz-ee22 (UK)
MrsPotage (UK)
Lisagt (Oz)
Cocobarks (US)
Etchesketch (US)
Megi53 (US)
Airehead (Canada)
lauraloo29 (Canada)
jherusalem (US)
Joanthro (US)
fio-dagua (Portugal)
Picked up at the BCUK Unconvention. Looks interesting, and even more so now I know I'm the first in a bookring - will have to start it next! Thanks, daemonwolf!
Journal Entry 5 by Caro1 from Newark On Trent, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, October 1, 2005
Arrived safely yesterday. Looking forward to reading this though there a few other rings ahead of it. Will try to start asap. More later.
Journal Entry 6 by Caro1 from Newark On Trent, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 1, 2006
A really fascinating read which prompted much discussion when I got talking to a friend who had also read this. I'm going to have to look out for a copy of my own. Thanks for sharing daemonwolf.Iagegu has asked to be taken off the list and Witchie to be skipped, so I'll get this sent on to nice-cup-of-tea as soon as I've checked out the address.
Just plopped into my mailbox today - thank you caro1 for sending and daemonwolf for organising this ring :-) Will be starting reading this today (over lunch!)
This book took me a while to read, which was no bad thing. Any book which forces me to read slower is a treasure! I absolutely loved this book. I had never given much thought to colour, and how dyes and pigments were such an important part of our cultural and social life. I had never conciously thought about some colours being forbidden to some people - for example purple. And I loved the discoveries that various people made along the way, that allowed them to "capture" the colour (for painting or dye-ing) so that it lasted. At points, the chemical/scientific information was too much for me. But on the other hand I thought her style of writing and exploration made some wonderful links between people, their age-old skills and the colours we take for granted today. I'll stop rambling now, but thanks to Caro1 for sending this and to daemonwolf for organising!
Will pm ermintrude75 for her address now and send on asap.
Will pm ermintrude75 for her address now and send on asap.
posted today (surface) to Ermintrude75
Arrived on Friday - sorry for the delay in journalling! Looks like a fascinating read - thanks :)
Fascinating, intriguing, in places astonishing, and of course vivid... this is a great book for anyone who's ever had a paintbox and wondered where all the wonderful names came from, let alone the colours themselves. It's easy to lose sight of the efforts that were required to get certain colours in the past, and how those colours might have changed over time to make the artworks we see today different from the way they were when new. Next time I print out a photo or decorate a room, I'll have a whole new understanding and appreciation of the colours I use.
Thanks for ringing this one, daemonwolf!
Book now in transit to caligula03.
Thanks for ringing this one, daemonwolf!
Book now in transit to caligula03.
Book is here. Thanks!
Colour is an interesting book. Some chapters are more informative than others. Esentially the book is a travelogue with the trips held together by the common theme of color. By far the weakest chapter is "Orange" in that it is more a chapter about music than it is about the hue Finlay was supposedly studying. The best chapters are "Red", "Yellow" and "Blue." In these three chapters Finlay hits her stride, tracking down the history, politics and oddities of these hues.
Released 17 yrs ago (5/16/2006 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Mailing to Heathwitch.
Mailing to Heathwitch.
Recieved okay :) I have another one before this, so I'll get to "Colour" as soon as I can.
This was an amazingly informative read, and I enjoyed it. Mailing on to PatchworkPerson once I have her address. :)
Journal Entry 17 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, June 22, 2006
Received yesterday. Thank you heathwitch.
The book has had an unfortunate experience with my dog, the reason we have an outside mail box! Wasn't enough room in said mail box & as I wasn't in, Postie put it through the door. Charlie, the Destructo Dog decided to help & now the book has some puncture marks but is not chewed. I've checked with daemonwolf who has agreed that as the book is still readable, it can continue on it's way. Before the outside mail box DH & I would joke that our mail came ready punched for filing;-)
The book has had an unfortunate experience with my dog, the reason we have an outside mail box! Wasn't enough room in said mail box & as I wasn't in, Postie put it through the door. Charlie, the Destructo Dog decided to help & now the book has some puncture marks but is not chewed. I've checked with daemonwolf who has agreed that as the book is still readable, it can continue on it's way. Before the outside mail box DH & I would joke that our mail came ready punched for filing;-)
Journal Entry 18 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, July 24, 2006
I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I want my own copy. I loved learning about the history of colour & the lengths people went to to get it. This is going to sound dozy but previously I had never given any thought as to how the great artists created their works without those little tubes. I loved the chapters on yellow, indigo & violet perhaps because they are some of my favourite colours anyway. Still don't like orange though;-) Ready to go to Wilksie.
This arrived today - thank you PatchworkPerson :-)
It looks really interesting.
It looks really interesting.
Journal Entry 20 by wilksie from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, September 3, 2006
A very interesting read. I enjoyed the fact that it was as much about travel as it was about colour - I'm always going to associate different countries with different colours now! I found the story of cochineal particularly fascinating. I think I might have to buy my own copy of this book for future reference :-)
Posting on to Squirk as soon as I get an address.
Posting on to Squirk as soon as I get an address.
Journal Entry 21 by squirk from Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, September 9, 2006
The book arrived safely yesterday. I like the photo of Charlie the dog - made me giggle!
I've started to read the book already. Thank you!
I've started to read the book already. Thank you!
Journal Entry 22 by squirk from Lambeth, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, September 30, 2006
A wonderfully visual and informative read. I hungrily gathered up all the new facts I read and enjoyed re-telling them to the nearest and dearest. It's made me really appreciate the paints on my palette!One thing I wondered all the way through the book, with almost every colour, especially the ones that involved boiling, ionising, etc: 'What on earth made a person think of doing THAT to create a colour?'
The book is ready to be posted to KittyNic as soon as I have the address. [Posted on 9 October.]
This arrived in the post a little while ago and as I'd just finished one book, I decided to start this one straight away and have nearly finished it already. I'm really quite enjoying all the anecdotes on the origins of colours so far.
