Julian
Good point, never thought of that! So if I forget blood orange, as in the fruit, fine. The car still looks darker in the LAT photos.
Simon Thomas

Location: Comber Northern Ireland

I had been told that reds and oranges come out darker looking on period black and white photos due to the chemisrty of photo negative developing at the time. Look at contempory cigarette cards such as Ogdens 1931 Races and the orange is quite light.

Location: Staffs

The car was painted cellulose VERMILION

In ancient times vermilion was regarded the color of life,ie BLOOD..

Vermilion = RED/ORANGE

Ben
Thanks. Never knew that. So is the colour of the 500 winner in the Nockolds painting incorrect? An image can be viewed on the Bonhams website, the auction is today.
Simon Thomas

Location: Comber Northern Ireland

Lot 162

Location: Staffs

Link to painting.

Location: Buxted, East Sussex

Presume the artists painting to be accurate, so curious as to why the Bentley is carrying a passenger/mechanic but the other 2 cars are not? Just curious as to why they would carry a passenger/mechanic, and presume they had too? If so why did the others not!?

Location: Colchester

I think the race was effectively a free formula handicap for racing cars. The Talbot behind the Bentley and Austin clearly had no riding mechanic. I have just looked at The Autocar race report. The start shows a number of cars including two seater Talbots and a Sunbeam without riding mechanics. However a sketch shows Dudley Froy and his mechanic hurriedly leaving their burning Delage.
Simon Thomas.

Location: Comber Northern Ireland

10 years ago Christies had a large original pastel/watercolour from the same race in 1930. I took a picture and will try to post it soon if I can find it!!!!!!

Location: Hove

Gentlemen
While accepting all the evidence is it possible the works cars were painted different colours in 1930/31 for specific races? Perhaps as Austin Harris suggests orange for the TT, but vermilion/blood orange for the Brooklands races and The Irish GP?
Maybe Mr Lowe can help?
Just a thought.
Simon Thomas

Location: Near Comber

I`ve seen the origanal hanging over the car in Adli Alabi`s house when he lived in Kensington(west London) and the colour was very true to life (Lucky Lad to see them together)

Location: Near junc.8 M25

OK guys. I'll upset you all now.

Photographic film before the mid 1920's was orthochromatic, the emulsion was sensitive to blue light leaving to light grey on prints, but it also rendered red colours as dark grey/black on the prints.

From what I have found from investigation of works photographs of traction engines is that sometime after about 1925 Panchromatic film started to come in, this rendered the colours as different shades of grey, and is a more realistic rendering of the image as seen to the naked eye. light colours like red and yellow make a light grey, dark colours dark grey. By 1932 all film seems to have been panchromatic.

What this means that photographs taken in the period in question say 1925 to 1932 may have been taken with either type of film.

So for example the print produced by one man with panchromatic film taken whilst stood next to another man with a print taken on orthochromatic film in his camera of the same scene may well look significantly different in terms of colours (i.e shades of grey)

(i.e shades of grey)

Careful, this is a family forum

Tony.

Location: Melbourne, Australia.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto.

Location: Wessex