1990

 
The « Centre Français de la Couleur » was created officially in March 1976, but we may think that its roots date back to 1956, when the « Association Française de Colorimérie » was started as part or the « Centre d'Infomation de la Couleur » already chaired by Professor Yves Legrand. The two broad goals which formed the basis of the organization were based on needs clearly seen by the starting team.

(1) Create connections between colour science and users in industry : to overcome an insufficient knowledge about fundamentals of colour ; to spread information and overcome the lack of documents mainly in the French language ; to propose the assitance of specialists and make use of the knowledge of its members ; to eventually develop a laboratory equipped with measuring apparati.

(2) Set up bridges between the world of colour seen by creators and users and the world of colour in science and industry : to take into account the way that colour pervades everyday life ; to overcome the difficulties of information exchange between people specialized in very narrow fields of colour knowledge.

These principles are not new and can be found in other colour associations. But the idea behind the Center was to create a large organization for work and exchange were all problems of colour could be discussed and approached in a multidisciplinary way to confront any possible scientific, technical, practical, psychological, aesthetic, or other problem. No subject related to colour falls ouside the « Centre Français de la Couleur »’s field of interest.

The first ten years of the « Centre Français de la Couleur » were molded greatly by the chairman, Dr. François Parra, who was Deputy Director of the Laboratory of Physics at the « Musée d'Histoire Naturelle » in Paris. He attracted a great number of weel-known French personalities in the world of colour research, colour vision, industry, and teaching, psychology, and so on. Many meetings were held, especially a very interesting multidisciplinary meeting in April 1984. The period culminated with the 5^th AIC meeting held in Monte-Carlo in June 1985, organized by « the Centre Français de la Couleur », as everybody knows. After the death of François Parra in June 1985, the « Centre Français de la Couleur » entered a difficult period due to a great number of serious problems that had to be solved simultaneously. For instance, the Center has lost the patronage grant which gave it the financial mean to publish its journal. It was also required to leave the Museum. The organization now has two addresses : officially the « Centre Français de la Couleur » is located at 52 Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris (75008), a well-known place, as it is the address of other French Associations in relation with the CIE and with the lightning industry. This provides extended oppurtunities of exchange and cooperation with these groups. But for practical matters the office address is ACORA 15, passage de la Main d'Or – 75011 Paris, France.

The objectives of the « Centre Français de la Couleur » remain the same. It hopes sometime in the future to develop a laboratory for measuring equipment. After a period of reorganization, the Center has begun to be very active again.

One of the Center’s most important activities is colour educution, which it pursues mainly through four-day seminars intended for technicans and professionals scientists. It also participates in similar activities carried on by other organizations. The Center emphasizes the liaison between physical, physiological and psychological aspects of colour. Also, believing that the problems of communication in the field of colour should be carefully addressed even for industrial users, the Center has started to orient seminars towards communication, marketing, and so on.

The Center also organizes meetings in cooperation with other organizations on a variety of topics, such as the needs of agrofood industry in colour and colour measurements, or colour and communication in packaging, or colour and ethnology. The Center contributed to an exhibition at the « Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires » in Paris devoted to traditiona1 workshops in relation with colour at the beginning of this century*. The Center also prepares talks and conferences all over France, and arranges for the publication of papers in widely read technical reviews not only on such obvious topics as colour education or colour measurements in industry, but also on more unusual topics, such as colour and design in movie theaters, or the colour of Champagne wines, or colour and comic strips and so on.

The Center no longer publishes its joumal Information Couleur, but it is publishing regularly for its members shorts documents named Primaires and Complémentaires which give press reviews about colour events and more detailed information about publications related to colour. These publications, because of their originality, are attractive for many members. Moreover, the Center would like to publish one substantial work each year. For example, in 1988 it published a classified bibliography listing publications made by French authors from 1983 to 1987 (about 400 references) related to all aspects of colours.

To close, we may add that, according to French regulations, the Center is an association governed by the 1901 Act, of which Dr. Robert S&egave;ve is now the Chairman. Also, the Center is the French member of the « Association Internationale de la Couleur » (AIC).

Robert Sève – April 1990

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* I.e. the 20^th Century, text was written in 1990.