I distract myself from heavy thoughts by wondering about things like, Why are raincoats yellow? It’s been raining for two days. A steady pouring. Too much gloom surrounding everything. Surrounding me. My daughter, at ten, has an innate fashion sense. She has been sporting a yellow umbrella with a yellow rain slicker. She thinks in shades when I think mostly in contrasts. That’s pretty much true for my outlooks on life too. I’m not sure about hers.
Anyway, her rain ensemble made me wonder, Why yellow? It seems the Scots, from whom I descend, were charged with weaving the sails for the British fleet from flax, now called linen. Linseed oil was used to impregnate these sails to waterproof them. Naturally, so too the clothing the sailors wore in heavy weather. As the linseed oil aged, it yellowed turning the sailors’ heavy weather gear yellow.
Is my research exhaustive? This is a blog about photography. What do you think? But, I like the explanation. So, when you drop this little nugget of knowledge (you won’t be able to resist) please credit where you read it first.
