The history of color, as with other topics related to the senses, cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries. You're unlikely to find Ph.D. programs in the history of color or endowed professorships in color history, but at the same time, historians of art and architecture, design (including industrial and fashion), science, philosophy, and economics have all produced works examining a single hue or engaging with the whole spectrum. Some of these individuals might describe themselves as color historians.

One who immediately comes to mind with regard to your questions is Regina Lee Blaszczyk, a professor of business history at the University of Leeds in the UK. Blaszczyk's work examines the relationship between technology and commerce with a specific focus on the development and application of color to consumer goods. She has authored numerous works on the subject, but the one I recommend is The Color Revolution (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2012). In this text, Blaszczyk examines the development of modern color technology, its use and abuse by corporations, and the creation of new professions ranging from color stylists to color engineers to color forecasters.

Another book you might consider consulting given your specific interests would be Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2011) by Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker. This is not a scholarly text, but it is written by recognized authorities within the industry who have tremendous experience and insight. This book is presented as a series of color palettes derived from the prevailing design trends of each decade of the 20th century, so I think you will find it engrossing.

One more resource to learn about color would be the Forbes Pigment Collection at Harvard. There is an audio tour/slideshow available on their website.