Most often the color palette that we associate with history 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 historic 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 is used in the 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 historic moments in color, we can relate to them easier, and this makes the pictures a whole lot more powerful. Instead of seeing those photos like we’re used to in history books, we now meet people that seem a lot more real, and situations – war scenes, for example – that look as if they have just happened.
1. Women Delivering Ice, 1918
9. Painting WWII Propaganda Posters, Port Washington, New York – 8 July 1942
10. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge ca 1935
11. Louis Armstrong practicing in his dressing room, ca 1946
12. Broadway at the United States Hotel Saratoga Springs, N.Y. ca 1900-1915
13. “The Tall Cowboy”, Ralph E. Madsen with Senator Morris Sheppard, 1919
14. Dancers of the National American Ballet, 20 August 1924
15. Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, 1921
17. Young Woman with Umbrella – Louisiana, 1937
18. Crowded Bunks in the Prison Camp at Buchenwald, April 16, 1945
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 historic facts and misinforming people. So, view it critically.