Index to colours used on geological maps

This is not a formal series but rather a collection of 'Index to colours' that was issued at various times to indicate the colours used on Geological Survey maps.

Showing 1 - 16 of 16


Sheet number Sheet title Published year View record
  An uniform System of Indicoclature ... In the Geological Plans and Sections connected with the Ordnance Survey’. Thomas Colby, Ordnance Survey Office, 9 April 1830. Printed pamphlet, hand coloured, 4 pp. (repaired and bound in covers). [Note: the colour scheme recommended here was never applied to the maps issued for the Ordnance Survey by De la Beche]. BGS Archive No GSM/DC/S/3. 1830  Full entry
  Colours to be employed in colouring geologically Sheets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 of the Ordnance Map of Great Britain. These colours are copied from those deposited in this Office by H. T. De la Beche, Esq., after they had received the sanction of the Council of the Geological Society of London on the 16th May, 1832, They are the same as those at present adopted by G. B. Greenough, Esq., for the 2nd edition of his 1803 Geological Map of England and Wales, preparing for publication. A. W. Robe, Capt. R.E., 22nd June, 1832. Ordnance Map Office, Tower. To R. I. Murchison, Esq., P.G.S. [President of the Geological Society], etc., etc.’ MS table of 16 colours. BGS Archive No GSM/DC/S/3. 1832  Full entry
  Copy of the First Index of Colours, 1834, drawn and coloured by J. E. W., 22.6.07. Initialled ‘H.W.G.W.’ (original index pasted onto Geological Ordnance sheet 23, 1st edition, AM 1112 S, set A). [Note: there are MS additions to the original index which may date from De la Beche’s revision of 1837. DGB] [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1837  Full entry
  Colours & signs employed in the Ordnance Geological maps of Cornwall, Devon and west Somerset. 2nd index 1839. Copy made 22.6.07, by H.E.G. Initialed 'H.W.G.W.' (original with maps 20–27, 2nd ed.) [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1839  Full entry
  Index to the colours & signs employed in the Geological Survey of Great Britain, for south western England & South Wales. n.d. (about 1844, see sheet 35 Jan 1845). [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1845  Full entry
  Index to the colours & signs employed in the Geological Survey of Great Britain for south western England & South Wales. Publ. by J. Arrowsmith, 24 August 1846. [Not an official publication, copied from the preceding index, item 5]. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1846  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain for south western England & South Wales (with MS additions). n.d. (after 1846, before 1856) [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1847  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain for Wales, the Midlands and southern & western counties of England. Jan 1856. [First of the Murchison series, incorporating a newly revised colour scheme together with the introduction of an alphabetic letter for each geological System] [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1856  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1865. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1865  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1867. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1867  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1869. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1869  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1871. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1871  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1874. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1874  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, up to 1874. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1874  Full entry
  Index to the colours and signs on the map of the Geological Survey of Scotland, 1897. [BGS Archive Reference GSM/DC/S/3.] 1897  Full entry
  [Index to the colours employed in the maps and sections of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, c.1960s.] 1959  Full entry

Showing 1 - 16 of 16


See also