Color: Some important color theorists

The library owns many important books about color and color theory. Click on the names of the following people to see what items we have by these theorists in our collection. If you are interested in these or other works written by color theorists, search the catalog for them using the AUTHOR search option.  If you are looking for information about them or their work, use the SUBJECT or KEYWORD options to search either the library's catalog or the periodical indexes.

A few of the items that are in our Special Collections are listed here below their authors.  Please plan ahead to see items in Special Collections. Items should be requested ahead of time. 

Josef ​Albers, 1888-1976 

• The library has several Albers books in Special Collections, including the 1963 edition of Interaction of Color.

Faber Birren, 1900-1988 

M. E. (Michel Eugène) Chevreul, 1786-1889

• See Special Collections for 1839's De la loi du contraste simultané des couleurs

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832 (you may want to limit your search to items at CIA)

Johannes Itten, 1888-1967

• See Special Collections for Itten's The color star.

A. H. (Albert Henry) Munsell, 1858-1918

• The library has The atlas of the Munsell color system in Special Collections.
• Also, see Special Collections for The Munsell book of color: defining, explaining, and illustrating the fundamental characteristics of color, a revision and extension of "The atlas of the Munsell color system"

Wilhelm Ostwald, 1853-1932

• See Special Collections for The Container Corporation of America's Color harmony manual: 949 different color chips in removable form arranged and notated according to the original system of Wilhelm Ostwald