The colors of buildings and monuments provide unique insights into the culture and the materials available at that time in history. For example: the striking reds of the Heian Shinto shrine in Japan, the golden stones of the pyramids of Egypt, and the green and blue tiled domes of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Uzbekistan (pictured above).


But what about the colors of dwelling places? Ordinary homes? What can we learn about the people, their traditions, the economy, the weather, and the geography of a place? If we concentrate on painted structures, what can the colors of paint tell us?

Finally, if we narrow the focus to the homes of the working class who lived in one geographic location, what will 100 years of paint colors reveal?

"The Historical Colors of Hawaii Plantation Housing" project did precisely that. The process was a visual, physical, and scientific analysis the colors of paint of existing homes on the island of Kaua'i. The end result was a key to the history of the people and the industry that built the Hawaiian Islands and a specification of the colors per current color systems.

A Brief History or Hawaiian Architecture

In ancient times, the Hawaiian people lived in simple structures constructed of natural materials such as lava, coral, logs and thatching from pili grass and coconut fronds. The term "grass shack" refers to many of these simple homes.

After the arrival of the Europeans in the late 18th century, this architectural tradition underwent a revolutionary change when the new population of missionaries from the United States erected frame houses (in a style derived from buildings in New England). During the late 19th and 20th century residential homes were built. The style became known as "Hawaiian plantation architecture."

The "plantation style" originated in the homestead areas that housed plantation laborers. This work force came from China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal and many other countries to work on sugarcane plantations, and to a lesser extent pineapple plantations, rice farms and other agricultural endeavors.

Popular trends from California and elsewhere on the continental U.S. emerged in the 1970s and 80s, and eventually dominated the housing industry. As the 21st century unfolds, the plantation style is appreciated for its Hawaiian authenticity and has become a model for new construction.

The following is a summary of how the research about the historical colors of plantation housing in Hawaii was conducted. It is intended to provide an overview of methods used in historical color research and to inspire others.

The Historical Colors of Hawaii Plantation Housing

Introduction
Historical architectural research of this scope required a thorough survey of all existing plantation homes in the plantation camps and other areas, interviews with residents, meetings with other historical experts, analyses of historical documents, and microscopic examination of paint samples.



The project covered all the existing homes in the six remaining plantation housing "camps" and six other areas on the island of Kaua'i in the state of Hawaii, U.S.. Prior to this study, no one had surveyed all the plantation camps on Kaua'i,  and no one had examined the paint colors under a microscope. The project took almost a year to complete.

This survey covered the following large plantation housing areas: Kaumakani, Camp 6, Pakalas, Numila, Waimea, and Kekaha. It also included the following areas where only a few homes remain: Hanamaulu, Kapaa, Kealia, German Hill, and Koloa Some of the earliest unrestored homes had been moved and stored by Mike Faye at Kikiaole Construction lot.

The process included several phases: The Survey, Research, Microscopic Analysis, and Conclusions

Part 1 - The Survey and Paint Sampling


The research team walked the streets of every plantation camp, took photographs, extracted paint samples, and compiled a list of the existing colors.

In some cases, such as the largest existing plantation housing area of Kaumakani camp, the existing paint colors were the weathered remains of the colors originally used in 1946. In other areas, the original colors were covered by new paint.


Remnants of plantation homes from the late 19th and early 20th century were found hidden in brushy areas such as those Hanamalu and in areas owned by the Faye family.


Approximately 200 paint samples were gathered from protected areas such as under the eaves.

Interviews with current and former residents provided valuable information. Retired workers- and especially those who had lived in the housing 50 years (or more) ago - told their stories about the plantation homes. A sampling:

Mr. Ashida of Numila Camp said that the original homes were either white washed or painted with creosote (a tar which was used as preservative). He remembered that the boat that transported the wood for the first plantation homes did not dock. They tossed the wood overboard and let it "float" to shore. Apparently this salt-water soak is responsible for the wood's resistance to termites today. He also said that prior to WWII, the plantation manager selected his favorite color for new construction. In later years, people who maintained their homes were given free paint and the rent was lowered to $50 in return for repainting.

Mr. Raymond Espino of Kaumakani Camp (1946) said that the red dirt from the sugar cane fields make upkeep difficult.

Others interviewed recalled that homes were white or dark green. Some remembered that the homes in their camp were all dark grey. In almost every case, the plantation owner chose the colors.

Interviews with historical organizations and other experts provided additional information. A sampling:

Chris Faye, the great granddaughter of the Waimea Plantation owner, said that residents made their own paint using a linseed base prior to the 1920s.

Bob Scheck, curator of the Grove Farm Museum said that a "shingle stain green" mixed with creosote (tar) was used on the exteriors during the late 19th century.

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Part 2 - Research


A valuable collection of "Hawaii Sugar Planters' Association – Plantation Archives" in the University of Hawaii's Hamilton Library were reviewed. (For the most part these papers and bound folders can be examined in a special research area.)

Research was also conducted at the Kaua'i Museum and the Kaua'i Lihue Public Library

The 1948 Lewers and Cooke paint catalogue also provided clues. Unfortunately, the chemistry of paints that were ordered is not available.

Part 3 - Microscopic Analysis


Over 200 paint samples of paint and other finishes from the plantation homes on Kauai were examined under a microscope. A Nikon SMZ-800 Microscope with a Morell MI-10 Fiber Optic Illuminator and an Olympus SZ40 Stereozoon microscope were used.

Edge-view sectioned paint samples were the basis of the examination. These included the inner surface of wood (the indicator of the start of the historical paint applications) and subsequent layers of paint or stains.

These historic paint samples were color-matched under uniform lighting conditions.

Observations:
In some cases there were 4 layers of colors beginning with a stain, followed by 3 layers of paint.

The hundred-year-old paints scraped from rotting wood remains were evidence of traditional pigments. (Anyone who has ever squeezed paint out of a tube of oil paint would recognize pthalocyanine blue.)

Note: Chemical analysis was not conducted because it is extremely costly for just one chip of paint – and in this case there were 200 samples.

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Part 4 - Conclusions

The stories revealed by the colors used on the plantation homes proved to be more valuable than the identification of the colors per se.

The colors told the story of the people and the industry that built the islands of island of Hawaii. It was a story of immigrants — from Japan, China, the Philippines, and Portugal — whose descendants now populate the islands.

The research revealed the difficult living conditions of men and women (who some say were "slave laborers").  A retired worker recalled how the lives of first generation of workers were like plantation slaves and quoted the lyrics of "16 Tons":

"You load sixteen tons what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt"

In later years, the colors showed how living conditions were improved when the Unions arrived. Homes were constructed; homes were painted.

Before and after WWII, the colors of the paint colors bore witness to the remoteness of this Hawaiian island. More often than not, whatever paint was on hand in the paint factories on the continental U.S. was shipped to the islands. The excess of dark grey paint was the result of "battleship gray' surplus paint after WWII. The bright aquas and yellows were most likely interior paint colors — the only paint available at that time.

In conclusion, these were not colors that were chosen for aesthetic value — i.e. to create an attractive exterior. Furthermore, they were not selected for criteria used today such as: relationships with the landscape, environmental impact (hide dirt, soot, etc.).

Instead, they reflected that point in time, the availability of materials, the lives of the workers and industry that built the state of Hawaii.

Project Details:

Color Consultant: Colorcom, Jill Morton
Ms. Morton is a former faculty member of the School of Architecture, University of Hawaii and the author of the Color Matters website. Her ebook - Color Logic includes the color theories she taught in an introductory course for architects.
Research Team: Zachary Toyofuku, Elizabeth Llego, Michelle Jose

Links
Kauai Sugar Plantations
Hawaii Architecture
The Historical Colors of Ewa Plantation Hawaii
(another project by the team from Colorcom)

Is Black a Color?  Is White a Color?

The answer to the question - "Are black and white colors?"  - is one of the most debated issues about color. Ask a scientist and you'll get a reply based on physics: “Black is not a color, white is a color.” Ask an artist or a child with crayons and you'll get another: “Black is a color, white is not a color.” (Maybe!)

There are four sections on this page that present the best answers.

 

Introduction: How Colors Exist

# 1 - The First Answer: Color Theory #1 - Color as Light
Black is not a color. White is a color.

# 2 - The Second Answer: Color Theory #2 - Color as Pigment or Molecular Coloring Agents
Black is a color. White is not a color

# 3 - The Third and Most Complete Answer: Vision and Reflection

Comments from color pros: More about black & white

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Introduction

The color of a tangible object is the result of pigments or molecular coloring agents. For example, the color of a red apple (in the illustration at the left) is the result of molecular coloring agents on the surface of the apple. Also, a painting of a red apple is the result of red pigments used to create the image.

The colors of objects viewed on a television set or on a computer monitor are the result of colored light (in the illustration at the right). If you're not familiar with how colors are created by light, look at your monitor or television screen close up. Put your eye right up against the screen. A small magnifying glass might help. This is what you will see:

A simplified way to explain it is that the color of a red apple on a computer or television is created by photons of red light that are transmitted within the electronic system.

Primary Colors

It's also important to understand the concept of "primary" colors. The fundamental rule is that there are three colors that cannot be made by mixing other colors together. These three, red, blue, and yellow, are known as the primary colors.

 

Now that we've described two different categories of colors (pigment and light-generated) and have a definition of primary colors, the answer to whether black and white are colors can be answered.

 

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Color Theory 1 - Color as Light

(Additive Color Theory)

Red, Green, and Blue
(The primary colors of light)

 The question:
Are black and white colors when generated as light?

 

The answers:
1. Black is the absence of color (and is therefore not a color)

Explanation:
When there is no light, everything is black. Test this out by going into a photographic dark room. There are no photons of light. In other words, there are no photons of colors.

2. White is the blending of all colors and is a color.

Explanation:
Light appears colorless or white. Sunlight is white light that is composed of all the colors of the spectrum.  A rainbow is proof. You can't see the colors of sunlight except when atmospheric conditions bend the light rays and create a rainbow. You can also use a prism to demonstrate this.

Fact: The sum of all the colors of light add up to white. This is additive color theory.

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Black = predator & danger. That's the symbolism of the color that some say isn't a color. Learn more about the purest symbolism of colors in this online course - Organic Color Symbolism - from Color Matters. 

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Color Theory 2 - Color as Pigment or Molecular Coloring Agents

(Subtractive Color Theory)

Red, Yellow, and Blue (The primary colors of pigments in the art world)	Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow (The primary colors of inks in the printing industry) *

 The question:

Are black and white colors when they exist as pigments or as molecular coloring agents?

Black and white cats created by colored crayons.
This is color generated by pigments.

 

Black and white cats. The colors of the fur is the result of molecules.

The answers:
1. Black is a color. (Chemists will confirm this!)

Explanation:
Here's a simple way to show how black is made: Combine all three primary colors (red yellow and blue) using a liquid paint or you even food coloring. You won't get a jet black, but the point will be clear. The history of black pigments includes charcoal, iron metals, and other chemicals as the source of black paints.
Resource: History of Pigments

Therefore, if someone argues that black is the absence of color, you can reply, “What is in a tube of black paint?” However, you must add the fact that black is a color when you are referring to the color of pigments and the coloring agents of tangible objects.

2. White is not a color.
... but .... in some cases you could say that white is a color.

The grey area:
Technically, pure white is the absence of color. In other words, you can't mix colors to create white. Therefore, white is the absence of color in the strictest sense of the definition.

However, when you examine the pigment chemistry of white, ground-up substances (such as chalk and bone) or chemicals (such as titanium and zinc) are used to create the many nuances of white in paint, chalk, crayons - and even products such as Noxema. It's worth noting that white paper is made by bleaching tree bark (paper pulp). Therefore, you could say that white is a color in the context of pigment chemistry.

More Information about CMYK primary colors:

In theory, mixing equal amounts of three primary colors should produce shades of grey or black when all three are fully saturated. In the print industry, cyan, magenta and yellow tend to produce muddy brown colors. For this reason, a fourth "primary" pigment, black, is often used in addition to the cyan, magenta, and yellow colors.

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Vision and Reflection

The final answer to whether black and white are colors takes other factors into consideration.

Colors exist in the larger context of human vision. Consider the fact that there are three parts to the process of the perception of color.

1. The medium - The color as it exists as a pigment/colorant (such as the color of a tangible object) or as light (such as the color of an image on a television screen).

2. The sender - How the color is transmitted.

3. The receiver - How humans see color. In other words, how we receive information about color.

(If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody around does it make a sound? Does a color exist if there is no one to see it?)
 

The question:
Are black and white colors?

The answer:
The best answer combines both of the theories described in Part 1 and Part 2.  Pigments and coloring agents (as described in Part 1) are only half of the answer.

The color of a tangible object originates as a molecular coloring agent on the surface of the apple. We see the color of an object because that object reflects “a color” to the eye. Every color is the effect of a specific wavelength. Link to ElecroMagnetic Color at Color Matters.

In the case of the apple, we see the color red because the red apple reflects the specific wavelength of red (640nm is red).

The same theory applies to black and white.

The question:
Are black and white colors?

The answer:
1. Black is not a color; a black object absorbs all the colors of the visible spectrum and reflects none of them to the eyes.

The grey area about black:

• A black object may look black, but, technically, it may still be reflecting some light. For example, a black pigment results from a combination of several pigments that collectively absorb most colors. If appropriate proportions of three primary pigments are mixed, the result reflects so little light as to be called "black." In reality, what appears to be black may be reflecting some light.
• In physics, a black body is a perfect absorber of light.
   

2. White is a color. White reflects all the colors of the visible light spectrum to the eyes.

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In conclusion

The colors we see are simply a degree of how much of this color present in light is reflected. To be completely accurate, a color reflects the wavelengths in the NM range that our retinal cones respond to.

The medium is the process of reflection of the wavelength of the color.
The receiver is our eyes which receive the wavelength of the color.

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More from Color Matters

 

There's more to color than black and white! When you're finished with this article, discover the 3 most important things about color at Color Matters. See Basic Color Theory

 

When you're finished with black & white, explore some real colors at Color Matters: The Meanings of Color

Comments from colors pros: More about black & white

More about color vision:How the Eye Sees Color

 

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Substantial research shows why color matters and how color plays a pivotal role in all our visual experiences.

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