His color book "evolved into the Pantone color chart," according to Lewis. "Ridgway's Colors" are still used today by mycologists, philatelists and food colorists, according to Lewis' 2012 book.

This article is more than 5 years old. Pantone has come in for criticism for its Color of the Year, Classic Blue, which was announced last week. The critics are missing the point. Blue night on lake.