The practice of camouflage has been a discussion point for thousands of years, and for most of that time the discussion revolved around creatures with a natural gift for concealment. As far back as the 4th century BC, Aristotle commented on the ability of the octopus to change colour, and since 1340 the ability of a certain lizard to switch appearance according to its surroundings has made chameleon a byword for disguise in English. Gower and Shakespeare made good use of the word chameleon in this context, as did our multitalented translator Richard Eden. Much later, British zoologist Edward Poulton would write in great detail about animal colour-shifting in his 1890 work Colours of Animals where he coined the phrase “aggressive mimicry”.
The 19th century also saw military use of camouflage, with British soldiers wearing khaki from the mid-1850s, but the word itself did not enter the language until the First World War. In 1917, groups of French artists known as camofleurs were tasked with creatively covering over observation posts and guns. In May of that year the Daily Mail formally introduced the word to English language readers and offered a handy and broad explanation of its meaning. “The art of hiding anything from your enemy is called camouflage”. With camouflage a key military strategy in wartime, the word was immediately popularised. Factories were soon producing camouflage material, and the word was adopted in society with numerous camouflage parties offering guests the perfect fancy-dress opportunity.
In peacetime the word has become a favourite name for drama groups and other artists seeking to create an air of mystery. What actor would not relish being seen as a master of disguise? But they should take warning; in 1984 Rod Stewart’s choice of “Camouflage” as an album title worked against him. When critics found the album contained several cover versions of old songs, some quipped that Stewart had attempted to disguise himself as an original artist and failed.
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