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John Dalton described his own color vision in 1794, and asked for his eye to be examined

Ask a Neuroscientist · posted October 28, 2026

The studies, records and images behind this post, each linked to the original. Where a slide shows a number card, the number is quoted from the study named on the card.

Research cited

  1. Hunt DM, Dulai KS, Bowmaker JK, Mollon JD (1995), The chemistry of John Dalton's color blindness, Science 267(5200):984-988, doi 10.1126/science.7863342 (abstract, PubMed 7863342) doi.org
  2. Brown AM, Lindsey DT (2004), Color and language: worldwide distribution of Daltonism and distinct words for 'blue', Visual Neuroscience 21(3):409-412, doi 10.1017/S0952523804213098 (title record, Europe PMC) doi.org

Other sources

  1. Dalton J (1798), Extraordinary facts relating to the vision of colours: with observations, Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester 5(1) (Internet Archive scan of volume 5, public domain, read Oct 14, 2026) archive.org

Images, slide by slide

Slide 1
Unknown maker, John DaltonWellcome Collection (public domain)Museum or journal record
Slide 2
John Dalton, 'Extraordinary facts relating to the vision of colours', Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester 5 (1798), page 29: 'Blue, purple, pink, and crimson appeared rather less distinguishable; being, according to my idea, all referable to blue' (Internet Archive scan)Internet Archive (public domain)Museum or journal record
Slide 3
Unknown maker, Pelargonium zonale (zonal geranium), herbarium specimen (Naturalis Biodiversity Center)Naturalis Biodiversity Center (CC0)Museum or journal record
Slide 4
Unknown maker, Dr MacMunn's spectroscope, comprising of one prism and with the scale-tube illuminated by a mirrorWellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0)Museum or journal record
Slide 5
Unknown maker, The eye: twenty-four figuresWellcome Collection (public domain)Museum or journal record
Slide 6
Illustration made for this post (labelled Illustration; not data) from Hunt et al. (1995), Science 267:984-988: Dalton supposed his eye fluid was tinted blue; examined after his death, the fluids were perfectly clearHunt et al. (1995), Science 267:984-988, illustration drawn for this postMuseum or journal record
Slide 7
Illustration made for this post (labelled Illustration; not data) from Hunt et al. (1995), Science 267:984-988: a timeline from Dalton's 1794 description to the post-mortem eye examination and the 1995 DNA testHunt et al. (1995), Science 267:984-988, illustration drawn for this postMuseum or journal record
Slide 8
Unknown maker, Dr. Thomas Young, 1 print, B026829 (National Library of Medicine)National Library of Medicine, Digital Collections (public domain)Museum or journal record
Slide 9
John Dalton, Table of the elements and their atomic weights, 2 prints, 1808, Illus. in QD28.D15 [Rare Book RR] (Library of Congress)Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (no known restrictions)Museum or journal record
Story 1
John Dalton, 'Extraordinary facts relating to the vision of colours: with observations', read Oct. 31st, 1794, Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester 5 (1798), first page, page 28 (Internet Archive scan)Internet Archive (public domain)Museum or journal record
Story 2
Number card made for this post, citing Dalton (1798), Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester 5.The study
Story 3
Unknown maker, An ornamental geranium (Geranium species): flowering stemWellcome Collection (public domain)Museum or journal record

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