I discovered what I think is the first colour pollen diagram this week. Published in 1948 and still looks beautiful.
Selling, O.H. (1948) On the late Quaternary history of the Hawaiian vegetation. PhD thesis, University of Stockholm, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Selling (1948) cover
Selling (1948) colour pollen diragram
Images of the copy held at the University of Amsterdam library.
Ecology of the past 