Cobalt blue
Cobalt blue in impure forms had long been used in Chinese porcelain, but it was independently discovered as a pure alumina-based pigment by Louis Jacques Thénard in 1802. Commercial production began in France in 1807. The first recorded use of "cobalt blue" as a color name in English was in 1777. The leading world manufacturer of cobalt blue in the 19th century was Benjamin Wegner's Norwegian company Blaafarveværket ("blue colour works" in Dano-Norwegian). Germany was also famous for production, especially the blue colour works ("Blaufarbenwerke") in the Ore Mountains of Saxony.
Lilac rabbit
The first breeder of lilac-coloured rabbits is thought to be an H. Onslow of Cambridge, England, who began exhibiting them in London in 1913. Lilac-coloured rabbits were also produced the same year by Mabel Illingworth, who crossed Blue Imperials with Havana rabbits. In 1917, a Gouda, Holland breeder named C.H. Spruty crossed Blue Beverens with Havanas to create a larger lilac rabbit called the Gouda or Gowenaar. The Cambridge Blue was created in 1922, by Cambridge University professor R.C. Punnet, by using the same cross as Spruty. The rabbits bred by Illingworth, Spruty and Punnet were merged, creating the Lilac rabbit breed. Due to the number of bloodlines within the breed and breeder preference, the exact shade of colour and size show great variety.