revision first suggested by the Priest, Gibson, McNicholas report (8).
The result was the publication in 1929 of a book of charts known as the Munsell Book of Color (13), to distinguish it from the Atlas of the Munsell Color System (3) which it was intended to replace. The work of producing the charts was completed under the direction of Walter M. Scott, service director of the Munsell Color Company, 1928-30. For the Book of Color, F. G. Cooper wrote a foreword and explanation of color which has been reprinted separately as a Manual of Color (14).
Except to those who used Munsell papers for purposes of color measurement, the new papers were not different enough from the old ones to cause any difficulty. In general, teachers liked the form of the new charts (made available in a pocket-size edition as well as the larger 8½×12 charts of the standard edition), and since the charts were used by them for teaching the relation of colors, rather than for matching colors, they were well satisfied.
The Munsell company, particularly during the period of research activity, had developed a certain amount of consulting business, chiefly in relation to the preparation of standard colors, and color scales for specific purposes. Thus there were prepared the Flagg-haemoglobinometer, and meat-grading scales for the Department of Agriculture, both washable, made on a clear celluloid base. The preparation of a color chart for use in advisory work by the Clothing Information Bureau of the Filene Company in Boston is another example. Applications of the Munsell system to the textile industry were made while Dr. Scott was with the company (15). Standards for soap colors, for scales to measure detergent power, to measure smoke deposit—all such problems, and many more, were handled during the 1921-30 period.
Although the trend of thinking in the company during those years was along scientific rather than art educational lines, the actual business of the company (it never has made a profit, nor has it ever employed a salesman) was in supplying art educational materials for teaching the Munsell system. And this field was not entirely neglected by the research activities of the laboratory, for Milton E. Bond, while he was with the company, produced many pieces of illustrative work; Byron G. Culver of the Rochester Art Institute completed the manuscript of a book for teaching color;[1] a summer school session was held under the leadership of Royal B. Farnum and Byron G. Culver in 1926; and Color News was published by the Research Laboratory for three years, 1924-27 (16).
After the publication of the Book of Color in 1929, Mr. Munsell, who felt that the chief object of the laboratory had now been accomplished, began to devote himself to other interests. Thus he withdrew more and more from color activities, until in 1933 a complete break was made of all formal connection with the company. Whenever near enough, he has been available for consultation by whomever has been in charge of the company, for he is still interested in the work although he prefers that it be a side line rather than a lifework.
In 1930 the Munsell Color Company attempted, for a time, to turn over the distribution of supplies to Universal Color Standards, Inc., a Baltimore company formed for that purpose. But the attempt was not successful, and the Munsell company soon resumed the handling of those supplies which they make or publish themselves.
About 1929 a new Munsell universal photometer was developed, and in the early 1930's, during the time that the late Walter T. Spry was manager of the company (1933-1938), new types of school charts were produced (17). Arrangements also were made to handle the sale of the Pfund instruments, thus adding color and paint measuring instruments to the color publications and special charts which previously had been the greater part of the Munsell business.
Since Mr. Spry’s death in 1938, Blanche R. Bellamy has been manager of the company where she is continuing its scientific tradition by sup-
- ↑ Publication of this manuscript was never made by the Munsell company, but a handbook based upon the Munsell system arranged by Mr. Culver on the same basic material was used for many years in his classes on color theory at the Department of Applied Art of the Rochester Athenæum and Mechanics Institute. (Mr. Bond now teaches the courses on color theory, using his own unpublished material, including a large number of effective teaching charts.) From Mr. Culver, now supervisor of the Institute’s newly established Department of Publishing and Printing, we understand that, in connection with the work on printing, a new handbook on color is about ready for publication.
