But if it could eventually be industrialised, it would be a triumphant demonstration that even the weirdest scientific arcana can sometimes have practical applications.

ECONOMIST: Microelectronics grows up

The photograph was first seen at King's College London during a Royal Institution lecture on colour theory by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell on the 17 May 1861 and the college is marking the 150th anniversary of that demonstration with an evening of talks celebrating his scientific discoveries.

BBC: Pioneering colour photography