Colorful heritage online: The color sample books of TU Dresden now on Sachsen.digital

The digitization of historical objects is α central element of working with historical objects. Digital copies serve as visual documentation, but also enable a broad public to access collections that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to consult. Against this background, the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections strategically expands the digitization of TU Dresden's research and teaching collections.

In recent years, a multi-stage project has focused on a particularly interesting bundle from one of TU Dresden's most important collections. In addition to dye samples and pigments, the historical dye collection also contains more than 3,000 colour sample cards and colour sample books, of which around 900 were selected for digitization. The Coordination Office for the Preservation of Written Cultural Heritage (KEK) funded necessary preparatory conservation interventions in 2023. From 2024, the Saxon State and University Library Dresden (SLUB) carried out the actual digitization work as part of the State Digitization Program for Science and Culture of the Free State of Saxony. Following the successful completion of this challenging project, the color sample cards and color sample books can now be freely consulted online via the Sachsen.digital portal.

The collection of color sample cards and color sample books is an invaluable resource for the history of the German and European dye industry and technology. The sample books serve as an important source for cultural and social sciences, especially for understanding the dynamics triggered by the introduction of synthetic dyes. They not only had a lasting impact on individual design and consumer behavior, but also on the public and social sphere.

The contents of the color sample books can be searched in detail according to metadata and full text, but also according to special characteristics such as dyes or carrier substrates.