Thu, 5 Oct 2023
5.30-6.30pm
Jubilee Library
Jubilee Street
Brighton BN1 1GE

Free, all welcome. Disabled access.

Humans have been making, using, and been fascinated with colour since prehistoric times. But how do you write about colour, and how do you colour books about colour? Colour historian Dr Alexandra Loske will take you on a rainbow walk through the history of literature about colour in theory and practice, beginning with the earliest known colour charts and diagrams in Western culture. The journey will take us from well-known classics such as Newton’s colour wheel from 1704 to lesser-known, experimental books about colour and musical analogies in the 20th century.

Using several examples from the Jubilee Library’s collection, Alexandra will also tell the stories of some pioneering women in the history of colour, including Brighton-based 19th-century writer Mary Merrifield and Ditchling weaver Ethel Mairet, who wrote a book about natural dyes in 1916.

Part of Libraries Week 2023. Organised by the Jubilee Library (Brighton & Hove City Libraries)

Dr Loske’s colour research is supported by the Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research at the University of Sussex.

This is a free event, but ticket reservation is essential as space is limited.

Book your ticket via EVENTBRITE here.