I recently came into possession of the paint swatch book Historical Colours, published in 1934 by the (now defunct, I believe) British paint manufacturer Thomas Parsons & Sons. The book belonged to a British step-great aunt. A graphics aficionado in her spare time, she collected books and compendiums of commercial art, practiced free-hand lettering, and maintained a large collection of the kinds of vintage bits and bobs designers generally find irresistible.
As the title suggests, Historical Swatches contains colors which are characteristic of different historical periods ranging from the Etruscans to late 18th century France, accompanied by contextual information and the specific paint number, should you have wanted to paint your parlor in Rose Pompadour. All in all, it makes for a more rarified color-browsing experience than scouring the paint section at Home Depot.
Three cheers to Great Aunty Heather for having the foresight to save this book for the enjoyment of future graphically-inclined generations!