It's hard to tell how many of the other colors made it onto bikes that went to the US market. The catalogs have quite a few colors, but when a pre-1955 Raleigh turns up in the US, it's so often black. Once in awhile, a burgundy Rudge or a blue Humber will turn up. A bit more frequently, a dark/superbe green Raleigh will turn up. People tend to call it "British Racing Green" here because it's a British bike and it's dark green, so those get tied up. It's a shame in that some of the catalog colors look like they would be really nice, but most of what seems to have come over to the US from that era was painted black.
I think that's about as good a job as could be done on the tall bike. Many of these were outdoor bikes or kept in places where there might be water or dampness all year (sheds, basements, dirt floor garages). I think most people tried to keep them up, but they were a utilitarian item still for going to school, riding around campus, or delivering newspapers.