Color Design

Derived from a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted studio sourcebook of the early 1900s, the patterns in this stunning collection combine to form a treasury of bold, colorful designs. These images have never before appeared in print, and this compilation affords users a unique selection of remarkably brilliant motifs. Originating in Lyon, France's long-time silk capital, the patterns were created by anonymous designers for the embellishment of fabrics. Predominantly florals and foliates, these decorative figures pulse with brilliant colors — vivid scarlets, muted olives, pearly grays, salmon pinks, and other dazzling hues.

Like Dorothy waking up over the rainbow in the Land of Oz, Hollywood discovered a vivid new world of color in the 1930s. The introduction of three-color Technicolor technology in 1932 gave filmmakers a powerful tool with which to guide viewers' attention, punctuate turning points, and express emotional subtext.