Most often the color palette that we associate with historical pictures is limited to black and white only. But have you ever imagined what did people, their outfits and backgrounds look like in real life - in color? Members of this one group on Reddit, called r/ColorizedHistory, sure have: they pick historical photos that we have only seen in black and white and bring them back to life by digitally coloring them. Of course, some interpretation and imagination are used in the photo restoration process, but all of the artists try to work with as much historical accuracy as possible.
Even though the idea looks simple, the final image has a surprisingly touching effect: by seeing those old photos in color, we can relate to them easier, and this makes the pictures a whole lot more powerful. Instead of seeing those black and white photos like we're used to in history books, after the photo editing, we meet people that seem a lot more real, and situations - war scenes, for example - that look as if they have just happened.
It's nice to see that the community of history fans is growing and that people want to make it relevant to others. However, this has also sparked some discussion, as some say that the artists are just messing with historical facts and misinforming people. So, view the enhanced vintage photography critically. For more examples of coloring pictures and how it is done, check out the works of Sanna Dullaway and Redditor mygrapefruit from Sweden.
UPDATE: check out Historic Black and White Pictures Restored in Color (Part II)!
1. Abandoned Boy Holding a Stuffed Toy Animal. London 1945
Colorozed by: HansLucifer
Image credits: Toni Frissel
2. Albert Einstein, Summer 1939 Nassau Point, Long Island, NY
Colorozed by: Edvos
Image credits: canasanta.com
3. Young Boy in Baltimore Slum Area, July 1938
Colorozed by: photojacker
Image credits: John Vachon
4. Elizabeth Taylor – Giant (1956 film)
Colorozed by: malakon
Image credits: Frank Worth
5. Hindenburg Disaster – May 6, 1937
Colorozed by: Dana Keller
Image credits: Murray Becker
6. Japanese Archers, circa 1860
Colorozed by: photojacker
Image credits: badasshistoricalpictures.com
7. View from Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee During the Civil War, 1864
Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway
Image credits: nashville.about.com
8. Unemployed Lumber Worker, circa 1939
Colorozed by: zuzahin
Image credits: alafoto.com
9. Auto Wreck in Washington D.C, 1921
Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway
Image credits: hqdesktop.net
10. Big Jay McNeely Driving the Crowd at the Olympic Auditorium into a Frenzy, Los Angeles, 1953
Colorozed by: traquea
Image credits: Bob Willoughby
11. W.H. Murphy and his Associate Demonstrating their Bulletproof Vest on October 13, 1923
Colorozed by: zuzahin
Image credits: National Photo Company
12. Audrey Hepburn
Colorozed by: Danna Keller
Image credits: wallpaperswa.com
13. ‘Old Gold’, Country Store, 1939
Colorozed by: photojacker
Image credits: Dorothea Lange
14. Joseph Goebbels Scowling at Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt after Finding out he’s Jewish, 1933
Colorozed by: photojacker
Image credits: life.time.com
15. Nikola Tesla, 1893
Colorozed by: Danna Keller
Image credits: Napoleon Sarony
16. British Troops Cheerfully Board their Train for the First Stage of their Trip to the Western Front – England, September 20, 1939
Colorozed by: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor
Image credits: photosofwar.net
17. Oscar II, King of Sweden and Norway, 1880
Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway
Image credits: realeza.foros.ws
18. Walt Whitman, 1887
Colorozed by: Danna Keller
Image credits: studiotv.com.au
19. Mark Twain in the Garden, circa 1900
Colorozed by: zuzahin
Image credits: imgur.com
20. Charlie Chaplin at the Age of 27, 1916
Colorozed by: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor
Image credits: wikipedia.org
UPDATE: check out Historic Black and White Pictures Restored in Color (Part II)!