August 15, 2013 at 2:01 pm

20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized

by twistedsifter

 

One of the greatest facets of reddit are the thriving subreddits, niche communities of people who share a passion for a specific topic. One of the Sifter’s personal favourites is r/ColorizedHistory. The major contributors are a mix of professional and amateur colorizers that bring historic photos to life through color. All of them are highly skilled digital artists that use a combination of historical reference material and a natural eye for colour.

When we see old photos in black and white, we sometimes forget that life back then was experienced in the same vibrant colours that surround us today. This gallery of talented artists helps us remember that 🙂

Below you will find a collection of some of the highest rated colorized images to date on r/ColorizedHistory.

I’ve also provide a list of some of the top contributors (in no particular order):

zuzahin aka Mads Madsen [website, facebook]
mygrapefruit aka Sanna Dullaway [website, facebook]
klassixx aka Dana Keller [facebook page]
photojacker aka Jordan J. Lloyd [facebook page]
HansLucifer [website]
BenAfleckIsAnOkActor
malakon
Edvos aka Paul Edwards
traquea

 

 

 

1. Abandoned boy holding
a stuffed toy animal. London 1945

Abandoned-boy-holding-a-stuffed-toy-animal

Original Photograph by Toni Frissell
Colorized by HansLucifer | valdigtmycketfarg.wordpress.com

 

Abandoned-boy-holding-a-stuffed-toy-animal_2

Original Photograph by Toni Frissell
Colorized by HansLucifer | valdigtmycketfarg.wordpress.com

 

“I was told he had come back from playing and found his house a shambles—his mother, father and brother dead under the rubble…he was looking up at the sky, his face an expression of both confusion and defiance. The defiance made him look like a young Winston Churchill. This photograph was used by IBM to publicize a show in London. The boy grew up to become a truck driver after the war, and walking past the IBM offices, he recognized his picture.” – Toni Frissell

 

 

2. Hindenburg Disaster – May 6, 1937

Hindenburg-disaster,-1937-dana-keller

 

Hindenburg-disaster,-1937-dana-keller-original

 

 

3. Japanese Archers circa 1860

Kyudoka--Japanese-Archers-c1860-photo-chopshop

 

Kyudoka--Japanese-Archers-c1860-photo-chopshop-original

 

 

4. View from Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee
During the Civil War, 1864

View-from-Capitol-in-Nashville,-Tennessee,-during-the-Civil-War-in-1864-sanna-dullaway

 

View-from-Capitol-in-Nashville,-Tennessee,-during-the-Civil-War-in-1864-sanna-dullaway-original

 

 

5. Unemployed lumber worker, circa 1939

Unemployed-lumber-worker,-ca

 

Unemployed-lumber-worker,-ca_2

 

 

6. Auto Wreck in Washington D.C, 1921

Auto-Wreck-in-Washington-D

 

 

7. Big Jay McNeely driving the crowd at the Olympic Auditorium into a frenzy, Los Angeles, 1953

trumpet traquea 20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized

Original Photograph by Bob Willoughby | Prints available
Colorized by traquea on Reddit

 

big jay mcneely on sax olympic auditorium la 1953 bob willoughby 20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized

 

 

8. Albert Einstein, Summer 1939
Nassau Point, Long Island, NY

Albert-Einstein,-summer-1939---Nassau-Point,-Long-Island,-NY-edvos

 

Albert-Einstein,-summer-1939---Nassau-Point,-Long-Island,-NY-edvos-comparison

 

 

9. Audrey Hepburn

audrey hepburn dana keller 20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized

 

 

10. ‘Old Gold’, Country store, 1939

'Old-Gold',-Country-store,-1939-photo-chopshop

 

'Old-Gold',-Country-store,-1939-photo-chopshop-original

 

 

11. Joseph Goebbels scowling at photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt after finding out he’s Jewish, 1933

Joseph-Goebbels-scowling-at-photographer-Albert-Eisenstaedt-after-finding-out-he's-jewish,-ca

 

Joseph-Goebbels-scowling-at-photographer-Albert-Eisenstaedt-after-finding-out-he's-jewish,-ca_2

Photograph by Time & Life Pictures

 

 

12. Nikola Tesla, 1893

Nikola-Tesla,-1893-dana-keller

Original Photograph by Napoleon Sarony
Colorized by Dana Keller | History in Color on Facebook

 

 

13. W.H. Murphy and his associate demonstrating their bulletproof vest on October 13, 1923

W.H

 

Testing_bulletproof_vest_1923

 

 

14. Young boy in Baltimore slum area, July 1938

Baltimore,-1938-photo-chopshop

 

Baltimore,-1938-photo-chopshop-comparison

 

 

15. British troops cheerfully board their train for the first stage of their trip to the western front – England, September 20, 1939

British-troops-cheerfully-board-their-train-for-the-first-stage-of-their-trip-to-the-western-front---England,-September-20,-1939-benafleckisanokactor

 

 

16. Oscar II, King of Sweden and Norway, 1880

Oscar-II,-King-of-Sweden-and-Norway,-year-1880-sanna-dullaway

 

 

17. Walt Whitman, 1887

Walt-Whitman,-1887-dana-keller

 

Walt-Whitman,-1887-dana-keller-original

 

 

18. Mark Twain in the garden, circa 1900

Mark-Twain-in-the-garden,-ca

 

 

19. Charlie Chaplin at the age of 27, 1916

Charlie-Chaplin-at-the-age-of-27,-1916-affleckokactor

 

 

20. Elizabeth Taylor – Giant (1956 film)

Elizabeth-Taylor---Giant-malakon

Original Photograph by Frank Worth Photo | Prints available
Colorized by malakon on Reddit

 

Elizabeth-Taylor---Giant-malakon-original

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the starry night vincent van gogh close up 20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized

 

 

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vintage mugshots black and white 17 20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized