Over the Rainbow

PORTLAND Basin Museum utilised the full spectrum of its collection for its 'Over the Rainbow' exhibition

“Over the Rainbow” put unusual and varied objects side by side, celebrating them purely for their colour.

Inside the cabinets of curiosities were a 1960s pink hairdryer, a green Thermos flask from the 1920s, a yellow children’s toy, black mourning lace from Victorian times, a blue Wedgwood vase and a red Manchester United supporter’s rattle, plus a mass of white stiletto heels found in an old cobbler’s shop.

Colour is a crucial part of an object’s design and can affect how it is perceived. The Mickey Mouse gas mask from the Second World War, for example, was designed in bright red and blue to make it less scary for children.

The classic British post box will forever be linked to the colour red, green is used to suggest a link with nature, and electronic gadgets tend to be functional black, brown or white.