Flesh, introduced in 1949 in the 48-Crayola box, existed until 1962, when [manufacturers Binney and Smith] voluntarily changed the name to Peach, recognizing that not everyone’s flesh is the same shade. —New York Times
In 1992, Crayola introduced this special Crayola crayon collection. Designed to represent an inclusive range of skin tones, it contains 8 colors from its current product line: apricot, burnt sienna, mahogany, peach, sepia, and tan, plus white and black. Even the logo is reimagined: a globally diverse group of children are orbited by the words “Multicultural Colors.” I’ve tweaked that box even further, in response to Susannah Conway’s #AugustBreak2015 photography challenge.
Crayola’s Multicultural Crayon box, reinterpreted for #AugustBreak2015
The word of the day is skin. I’ve represented that with texture, pigments, and the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. This is a grittier look than I’m known for, but then again–same as in 1962–we’re going through some rocky times.
I went through a museum exhibit once that showed about 150 Spanish or Brazilian words that were used to designate color in their country. I’ll have to dig it up and send it to you. Your post reminded me of it.
I’d love to see that list, Carol! It’s difficult to describe skin color, without resorting to the trite and overused.