HistoryJUN 22, 2022

“History In Color”: 30 Beautifully Colorized Historical Photographs

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Reading about history helps us better understand ourselves and the world around us, but exploring it through visual examples can make our past seem even more real. Like looking at old photographs that let us in on the undoubtedly captivating moments that we may have forgotten or weren't even aware of. However, the color palette we usually associate with these images is a narrow one — black and white. While faded and scratched monochrome photos do have their charm, they can make it difficult for us to relate to the past.

We live in a digital age, after all, and our minds think and remember past events in color, so a colorful photograph should be much easier to identify with, right? Let us introduce you to the aptly titled 'History in Color' subreddit, an online community "dedicated to high-quality colorizations of historical black and white images, and discussions of a historical nature."

To bring bygone days back to life, we have wrapped up a collection of some of the most stunning vintage images from the group. So enjoy scrolling through these multicolored treasures and upvote your favorite ones! Keep reading to also find in-depth interviews with writer and lover of early modern history Jo Romero and professional photo colorization artist Sanna Dullaway. And if you're interested in even more historical photos and the stories behind them, be sure to check out our earlier piece right over here.

#21 Leon Trotsky, Frida Kahlo, Natalya Sedova, Mexico, 1937

Lorenzo-Folli

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180points

#22 Benito Mussolini Is Arrested, 1915

Lorenzo-Folli

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171points

#23 “Titanic Orphans” Michel & Edmond Navratil, Named So When They Turned Out To Be The Only Children Who Remained Unclaimed By An Adult After Being Rescued From The Titanic, In 1912

“Titanic Orphans” Michel & Edmond Navratil, Named So When They Turned Out To Be The Only Children Who Remained Unclaimed By An Adult After Being Rescued From The Titanic, In 1912

mygrapefruit

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168points

The photo colorization artist stressed that the most important thing you need is knowledge and understanding of how color and light interact with one another. "How light bounces off reflective surfaces, changing the color depending on the scene — is the photo taken in bright sunlight? Overcast weather? Indoors with a single lightbulb illuminating the subject from a specific angle?" Sanna noted that these are all factors she has to consider before colorizing an old photo.

#24 Vincent Van Gogh At The Age Of 19, 1872.

Lorenzo-Folli

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166points

#25 Hakone, Japan, A Tree-Lined Avenue Ending In A Flight Of Stairs To A Temple, Photographed By Felice Beato In Ca. 1868

zuzahin

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158points

#26 The Bin Ladens In Sweden, 1971

salsifufu

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157points

When asked about her own opinion about old colorized photographs, Sanna thinks that her generation has a difficult time relating to the content of these images. "We see black and white photos as something distant belonging to another era, something that happened so very long ago. Looking back at those pictures almost gives you an 'us and them' feeling. We perceive the black and white world differently from the colored world we're accustomed to."

"But today, most of us grew up with photos being in color, and we all see life in color — it is the most natural thing to us. So when we add color to black and white photos, it makes us think, 'Hey, they were just like us!'" she said, adding that colors bring us closer to the past.