Research by the Science Museum Group based on objects from different periods of UK history shows how their colors have transformed over time, leaving vibrant tones behind and becoming grayer every day.
Cat Sleeman examined more than seven thousand photographs of everyday objects from the Science Museum Group Collection in research funded by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Center (PEC). From cameras to lamps and other household objects, they were organized into 21 different categories according to their use. The analysis was carried out based on counting pixels of different colors and also addressed the shape of the objects.
Study findings include the tendency for objects to become gray over time, which can be seen in photos and videos from the past. It is possible to plot these results on a graph that indicates how many pixels are in objects based on when they were created, from 1800 to now. Over these 200 years, gray tones became predominant, mainly from the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century, and yellowish and brownish colors fell during this same period.
