The Society for Bead Research recently (Vol. 18, 2006 edition of Beads:
Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers) republished Horace Beck's 1926
"Classification and Nomenclature of Beads and Pendants". It deals
extensively with the classification of shapes, particularly complex
shapes. On the topic of color, he writes:

"The question of colour is very important, and I hoped to have had a chart
printed with this paper. A chart was prepared byt he expense of
reproducing it in such a way tha tthe different impressions would be the
same, combined with the uncertainty as to how long the colours would
remain without changing, necessitated the plan being abandoned.
...
For bead-work I think that a chart with about one hundred colours, each
with three or four patches of different brilliancy, and all collected on
two sheets, about 15 in. by 12 in., would be the most suitable form.

Several charts have been made in which the colours are arranged on a large
number of sheets. The disadvantage of this is that it takes too long to
match a colour and also that only an approximate match can often be made,
as different parts of a bead frequently vary considerably in colour."
(page 52)

--Megan.


> I've been wondering if Karlis himself was going to weigh in, but I still
> use Kidd and Kidd (1974), as expanded by Karklins (1985) very heavily.
> However, the color attributions given by Kidd and Kidd are primarily
> helpful for early bead collections.  For late eighteenth and nineteenth
> century assemblages, where the number of colors and varieties starts to
> expand rapidly, the Kidd and Kidd colors just aren't as relevant.  I am
> lucky enough to have Munsell books handy but am intrigued by the online
> conversions posted yesterday by Silas Hurry and others.
>
> I advocate classifying beads using both 1) Kidd and Kidd codes (with or
> w/o color attribution depending on the time period), in conjunction with
> the Karklins 1985 publication, and 2) using Lester Ross's descriptive
> terms used in his 1990 Fort Vancouver publication and in his 2000 Fort
> Union publication (available as a cd).
>
> The Kidd and Kidd codes are handy identifiers and combining them with
> descriptive terms as used by Ross allows you to classify beads from just
> about any time period.
>
> These four publications form the backbone of bead research for me and
> are an excellent place for anyone to start:
>
> Karklins, Karlis
> 1985	Guide to the Description and Classification of Glass Beads.  In,
> Glass Beads, 2nd edition, pp. 85-118.  Studies in Archaeology,
> Architecture and History, Parks Canada, Ottawa.
>
> Kidd, Kenneth E. And Martha A. Kidd
> 1970	A Classification System for Glass Beads for the Use of Field
> Archaeologists.  Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in
> Archaeology and History 1:45-89.
>
> Ross, Lester
> 1990 Trade Beads from Hudson's Bay Company Fort Vancouver (1829-1860),
> Vancouver, Washington.  Beads 2:29-67
>
> 2000	Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading
> Post National Historic Site.  National Park Service, Midwest
> Archeological Center and the Fort Union Association.
>
>
> Laurie Burgess
>
>
> Associate Chair
> Department of Anthropology
> National Museum of Natural History
> Smithsonian Institution
> 10th and Constitution Avenue NW
> P.O. Box 37012
> Washington, DC 20013-7012
> (202) 633-1915
> [log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Linda France Stine LFSTINE
> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 5:28 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Munsell Book of Colour
>
>
>
> Always willing to show my ignorance, I wonder why no one has
> mentioned the old Kidd and Kidd, Canadian Historic Sites Occasional
> Paper in Archaeology and History, No. 1, 1970 article, "A
> Classification System for Glass Beads for the use of Field
> Archaeologists."  It included a fairly simple color system derived
> from Descriptive Color Names Dictionary, Container Corporation of
> America, Taylor, Helen D, Lucille Knoche, and Walter Granville (Eds.)
>
> Perhaps that publication is too obscure to access, but the article
> included good color examples that were from BEADS, not soils, and
> therefor very useful.  While not so scientific as Munsell, it was
> eminently useable.   Now, I suppose it is possible that Karlis
> Karklins and Co. have demonstrated conclusively the uselessness of
> this scheme, but if so, it slipped by my attention.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Pat Martin
>
>
> On Aug 25, 2008, at 4:27 PM, Kate and Silas wrote:
>
> For the free, downloadable Munsell color convertor etc.
>
> http://livingstonmanor.net/Munsell/File%20Downloads.htm
>
>
> Includes the entire book of color/Munsell color space
>
> Silas Hurry
> HSMC
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: Rita Eagle <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> Hi Iain,
>>
>> Thanks very much for taking time to give me these suggestions.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Rita Eagle
>>
>>
>> On 8/24/08, Iain Stuart wrote:
>>>
>>> I think there have been extracts of the colour charts made for
>>> specific
>>> purposes. Mostly I have encountered them in the geo-sciences. In
>>> Australia
>>> there is a book which has pages of colours most likely to be found
>>> when
>>> describing Australian soils (mostly yellow-reds) but these would
>>> not be
>>> suitable I imagine for trade beads.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There are various standards for paint colours which I have seen
>>> used for
>>> describing colours of transfer printed ceramics but again they are
>>> costly
>>> but as I recall a bit less than the Munsell book.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There are various colour wheels used in interior design that might
>>> be worth
>>> looking into.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> yours
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr Iain Stuart
>>>
>>> Partner
>>>
>>> JCIS Consultants
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ABN 15 673 291 522
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> PO Box 2397
>>>
>>> Burwood North
>>>
>>> NSW 2134
>>>
>>> Ph/Fax (02) 9701 0191
>>>
>>> (0413) 380116
>>>
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> Our website is www.jcis.net.au
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Rita Eagle
>> 1333 East 26th Avenue
>> Anchorage, AK 99508
>> 907.277.1113
>> 907.301.5690
>
> Patrick E. Martin
> Professor of Archaeology
> Department of Social Sciences
> Michigan Technological University
> Houghton, MI  49931
> phone 906-487-2070,email [log in to unmask]
> www.industrialarchaeology.net
>