This article xplores the historical variations in the color known as "White Star Buff" (WSB), used on the funnels of White Star Line ships, including the Titanic. The case for more than one formulation of the color Of all the debates relating to Titanic's appearance, the question of the color of her funnels reigns supreme as the most controversial. This particular color has come to be known in the greater Titanic Community as "White Star Buff" (WSB).
Funnel colors of shipping lines were their signature colors and aided in their identification. What was Titanic's correct funnel color? I've seen many depictions in media and paintings, but it seems like two main sides to this. First is tan/beige ish color.
I've seen this color depicted in a lot of media, and this is the way I've depicted my titanic's funnels for years. But then there's yellow. The most debated Titanic color of all, without question, has to be the lower funnel color dubbed White Star Buff.
Not quite one color or another, with barely discernible hints of one or two others, it's a color that defies easy description let alone replication. Funnel colors were important for identifying a ship with her company. As the shipping world expanded, each line developed their own color scheme.
The White Star Line had adopted an 18' tall black band at the top with the rest of the funnel painted in a color known as "White Star Buff.". The image of RMS Titanic, with its four towering buff-coloured funnels, is iconic. But a persistent myth has lingered: that the fourth funnel was nothing more than a cosmetic embellishment, a deceptive "dummy" designed purely for show.
While its aesthetic appeal was undeniably a driving force for its inclusion in the Olympic-class (of which Titanic was the second ship) design, the truth is far. The black color was a result of anthracite coal which was commonly used for fuel at that time. The Titanic funnels were also adorned with intricate design work and company logos.
The White Star Line logo was placed on the first three funnels, while the fourth funnel featured a flag from each of the countries in which the company operated. The blue color was chosen to represent the sea and the sky, symbolizing the ship's connection to the ocean. The ship's funnels (smokestacks) were painted a bright red color, which was a common feature of ships at the time.
The red color was used to make the funnels more visible and to create a sense of contrast with the blue hull. Below are the paint mixes used on Art Braunschweiger's model. These are the scale equivalents of the colors I determined to have been used on Titanic based on the consensus of my own and other TRMA members' research.
When mixing paints, I used one eyedropper filled up to the same amount for each drop indicated below. All colors on the actual ship were in gloss paint, but were finished flat.