Haint Blue

[Economizer]

Re: blue gum GEECHEES

There are folks about with blue gums nowadays but I think that is caused by cocaine use.

[the_geneticist]

My useless bits of trivia are that it's really common in the south to paint the ceiling over your porch a pale blue color. 
Not sure why, but it does seem to be regional.
Other useless trivia is that the paint was traditionally "milk paint" which is lye mixed in milk and any added color you want.  Indigo dye is water soluble and would give a nice blue color.

[nebo113]

Re: blue gum GEECHEES

There are folks about with blue gums nowadays but I think that is caused by cocaine use.

Huh?

[sinenomine]

My useless bits of trivia are that it's really common in the south to paint the ceiling over your porch a pale blue color. 
Not sure why, but it does seem to be regional.
Other useless trivia is that the paint was traditionally "milk paint" which is lye mixed in milk and any added color you want.  Indigo dye is water soluble and would give a nice blue color.

The conventional explanation for the blue porch paint is that it supposedly deters insects.

[San Joaquin]

'Course, if you put "Haint Blue" in Google, you can link to the folklore.

[dr_codex]

I have nothing to offer, except to say that I love this thread. I wish more of the Fora would emulate it.

Thank you all for your expertise and quirky knowledges.

dc

[apl68]

My useless bits of trivia are that it's really common in the south to paint the ceiling over your porch a pale blue color. 
Not sure why, but it does seem to be regional.
Other useless trivia is that the paint was traditionally "milk paint" which is lye mixed in milk and any added color you want.  Indigo dye is water soluble and would give a nice blue color.

The conventional explanation for the blue porch paint is that it supposedly deters insects.

May be a Deep South thing.  I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about it in Arkansas.

[wareagle]

I have nothing to offer, except to say that I love this thread. I wish more of the Fora would emulate it.

Thank you all for your expertise and quirky knowledges.

dc

I agree, this is one of the most interesting and unusual threads I've ever read, and I've been on the fora since 2006 or so.  Fascinating!

[mamselle]

And then there's this blue ceiling....

   https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mausoleum_of_Galla_Placidia_ceiling_mosaics.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

;--》

M.

[sonoamused]

The Old House Journal  may actually be a good source of information -- or at least places to go to track down historically accurate paint colors (and who they work with to make them).  Their team are kind of geeks about this sort of stuff. 

Was milk paint common in the South?  Because in the colonial North, that shade of blue would have been a milk paint, deep slate or other blue, diluted heavily.   (it seems like sometime in the 20th century all NE homes that painted their porches were required to use the same shade of gray for some reason; at least on the floors.  IMHO)

[San Joaquin]

May be town specific...seems like on a long-ago visit to Annapolis there were strict historic preservation codes limiting houses to white and trim to black or dark blue...

Again, my memory, not research.  :-)

[Economizer]

Whites out in the "country" sometimes hear about or speak of a "house of blue lights". My idea is that one of those is a recreational or party place.that might be involved in the sales or use of contraband items. Do any of y'all know particulars as to that?

[sonoamused]

Whites out in the "country" sometimes hear about or speak of a "house of blue lights". My idea is that one of those is a recreational or party place.that might be involved in the sales or use of contraband items. Do any of y'all know particulars as to that?

In my neck of the woods, you would look for the red light.  Blue always met that there was a military vet or LEO involved family there of some kind (as long as I can remember, which would be the early 80s or so). 

[wareagle]

What are the origins of the word "haint"?  Is this a corruption of "haunt", or something implying a ghostly color?

[nebo113]

What are the origins of the word "haint"?  Is this a corruption of "haunt", or something implying a ghostly color?

Apparently.