Progress and Poverty: An Inquiry into Color Appearance Modeling and Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth

摘要

In 1879, in post-civil-war America, Henry George published a verypopular, and still referenced, book entitled “Progress and Poverty:An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and ofIncrease of Want with Increase of Wealth: The Remedy.” The titleof this paper is an obvious play off of George’s title. Georgesuggested that the so-called “Gilded Age”, which was supposed tobe a time of economic growth and reform for everyone in thenation, was not for many as the increase in wealth for some wasaccompanied by increased poverty for many others. George alsohad several creative solutions to these problems. When lookingover the research and application of color appearance models(and fundamental colorimetry) across the 20 years of Color (and)Imaging Conferences, it becomes clear that there are also cycles ofincreased progress (wealth) followed by increased poverty (want)that somewhat parallel George’s main thesis. In general, when newcapabilities are developed, their shortcomings are quickly andsometimes vociferously elucidated and it can appear that the wantof the shortcomings outweighs the wealth of the advances. In somesituations that is indeed the case. This paper traces some examplesof that path and reaches a destination describing one view of thestatus quo of color science.