Color trends come and go, and each decade brings fresh hues into the spotlight. Some of those colors are timeless and remain popular for years to come, while others are now overlooked and forgotten.
What are some colors that were once iconic but have since lost their popularity? Could these hues make a comeback in the future? For most of these colors, there’s a good reason they’re not well-known anymore. Yet, just because these colors are no longer popular doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy similar shades today.
1. Ultramarine
Ultramarine
Hex: #0437F2
RGB: 4, 55, 242
This striking blue color has been around for thousands of years. Ultramarine was initially made by grinding up the mineral Lapis Lazuli, which cost a lot of time and money. At one point, the pigment was more expensive than gold because it was so difficult to obtain. Thus, it was used sparingly in paintings and typically only available to royalty. Due to its rarity, it became highly desirable.
As time went on, more affordable versions of the hue became available. Soon, a synthetic alternative known as French Ultramarine appeared, which had the same intensity and chemical structure as natural Ultramarine pigments. By the 1870s, French Ultramarine was used much more frequently than the original version.
Today, Ultramarine still exists, but it’s no longer one of the most popular colors. It’s one of many types of blue, so people don’t usually think about it. Plus, since it’s so vibrant, it’s not as relaxing as other blues, making it too overwhelming for some people.
2. Scheele’s Green
Scheele’s Green
Hex: #3C7A18
RGB: 60, 122, 24
In the early to mid-19th century, Scheele’s Green was extremely popular. It was made by Swedish chemist Carl Scheele using copper arsenite, which includes the toxic element arsenic. However, people didn’t know the dangers of the compound back then, and they quickly fell in love with the hue. Scheele’s Green became a popular color for wallpapers in people’s homes, but it was also used for other products, such as baby carriages.
People began to grow ill because of the exposure to Scheele’s Green, but the sicknesses were seemingly out of nowhere at the time. Doctors studied the home conditions of the patients and found that the water supply and cleanliness were fine. They soon discovered that the wallpaper painted with Scheele’s Green was the common factor, causing them to issue reports about the dangers of arsenic in pigments.
Of course, the same Scheele’s Green pigment used back then is no longer available today because of the risks involved. Yet, similar green hues are still found in other objects. They don’t go by this name, though, likely because of the negative associations.
3. Tyrian Purple
Tyrian Purple
Hex: #630330
RGB: 99, 3, 48
Tyrian Purple, the first known purple in the world, was discovered in the 16th century BCE. Not only was it the first named purple hue, but it was also an extremely expensive pigment to create. Tyrian Purple’s dye came from the mucus of spiny dye-murex sea snails. You needed thousands of snails to create only one ounce of dye. Plus, getting the dye from the snails was a tedious and unappealing process.
Since this purple hue was so hard to make, it was desirable and usually only obtained by royalty. Buying a pound of Tyrian Purple dye back then would be like buying a diamond ring today. The pigment was mostly used for textiles.
Today, Tyrian Purple is just another shade of purple. It’s no longer made with snails, so it’s not expensive to decorate with this color anymore. It’s still a unique color, but to most people, it doesn’t stand out much from other dark purples.
4. Carmine
Carmine
Hex: #960018
RGB: 150, 0, 24
Carmine, which was once more commonly called Cochineal, is a dark red pigment. The hue originally came from crushed cochineal bugs, which live in cacti of Central America and South America. This red was seen as a color of power, and it quickly became popular. Since the bugs could only be obtained in certain locations, the hue became difficult to get. This pigment made of crushed bugs was used in robes, textiles, food coloring, and more.
Eventually, Carmine lost its popularity because it faded quickly. Plus, most people today wouldn’t be fond of a pigment made of crushed bugs. While synthetic versions of Carmine still exist, this color no longer holds the high status that it used to.
5. Maya Blue
Maya Blue
Hex: #73C2FB
RGB: 115, 194, 251
Maya Blue is a light blue hue that was frequently found on Mayan and Aztec murals. It also appeared on pottery and was potentially painted on the bodies of human sacrifices. It’s much brighter than most other colors appearing in these murals. People believe there was a special ritual for creating Maya Blue because combining the materials provided symbolic healing power.
This color amazed chemists because, despite being such a light and bright color, it didn’t fade much over time. Chemists grew fascinated by the hue and studied it closely. It seems to have been made from a mix of natural clay and dye from the indigo plant. While researchers have some ideas, no one is 100% sure how this blue was made to be so long-lasting.
As the years went on, Maya Blue appeared less and less in artifacts. Of course, there are many similar synthetic blues today, such as sky blue, but they’re not nearly as fascinating as the natural Maya Blue.
6. Mummy Brown
Mummy Brown
Hex: #7B4125
RGB: 123, 65, 37
Mummy Brown is exactly what it sounds like. It was a popular color in the 16th century and was made by grinding up Egyptian mummies. Preserving those who had passed wasn’t a priority at the time, so people used the bodies. This brown hue quickly became popular among artists, although it’s not clear which famous paintings used Mummy Brown.
The mummies were transported from Egypt to Europe before being ground up and sold. According to chemist and painter Arthur Herbert Church, one ground-up mummy could produce 20 years’ worth of paint. At the time, some physicians believed the mummy powder could also provide medicinal benefits.
Once people became more aware of how the paint was made, it decreased in popularity. Today, it’s more important to preserve mummies rather than use them for pigments. There are many similar synthetic brown hues, but there aren’t any popular browns today known as Mummy Brown.
7. Indian Yellow
Indian Yellow
Hex: #E3A857
RGB: 227, 168, 87
Indian Yellow was once popular, but the process for making it was very inhumane. So, it’s no surprise that this pigment lost its popularity. People produced this yellow-orange pigment by feeding cows only mango leaves and water. This resulted in severely malnourished cows that produced bright urine. The urine was collected and dried, and the residue from it was used to make Indian Yellow.
This golden color was used for art pieces and fabrics in the 18th and 19th centuries. People loved its boldness, but as you can imagine, it sometimes smelled unpleasant because of what it was made of. By the end of the 1800s, its popularity declined as more people believed its production was cruel. You can still find synthetic yellow-orange colors labeled “Indian Yellow,” but naturally, they’re not made from cow urine.
8. Dragon’s Blood
Dragon’s Blood
Hex: #6D0F06
RGB: 109, 15, 6
Dragon’s Blood was a popular red pigment in the 16th century. It was marketed as a mix of dragon and elephant blood. A fictional story about a fight between dragons and elephants helped sell this deep red pigment. While the tale certainly made the color more interesting, it obviously wasn’t made of dragon blood (or any blood at all).
This pigment was actually made from the bark of rattan palms in Southeast Asia. It was initially used for paintings, but it later became more popular as a resin for varnish instead. A varnish of this color is sometimes still used today for violins. Yet, now that everyone knows the story about dragons isn’t accurate, it makes this deep red color a little less interesting.
9. Baker-Miller Pink
Baker-Miller Pink
Hex: #FF91AF
RGB: 255, 145, 175
Baker-Miller Pink, also known by the silly sounding name Drunk-Tank Pink, was once popular for peculiar reasons. The bright bubblegum pink color was thought to make people calm and peaceful. So, in the 1970s, it became a common color in holding cells and prisons in an attempt to discourage violent and aggressive behaviors. Soon, it was used nearly anywhere people needed to be calm, including psychiatric wards and youth clinics.
Researcher Alexander Schauss studied hundreds of shades of pink before determining that Baker-Miller Pink had the most positive effects on people. He named the hue after two directors of a naval correctional institute, Gene Baker and Ron Miller, who helped him with experiments on the color pink.
There are plenty of similar pinks that are still popular today, but not for the same reasons. Newer research determined that the positive effects of Baker-Miller Pink likely only lasted for a half hour. So, the hue is no longer used in places that require long-term effects. Yet, it’s still a fun color to admire.
Read Next: The History and Origin of Colors: Where Did Each Color Come From?
