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30 Old Colorized Photos That Might Change The Way You Perceive History By Sebastien De Oliveira (New Pics)
Interview With Artist
It’s hard to imagine being limited to taking exclusively black and white photos. At the same time, B&W photography remains popular, and images without a full range of colors have their own unique character.
However, nothing is impossible nowadays, and even something like adding color to old photographs, if done properly, can completely change the look of the picture and our perception of what we’re looking at. The French artist Sebastien de Oliveira specializes in digitally colorizing vintage photos. We’ve already featured some of his earlier works as an illustrator and photographer, so check out our previous Bored Panda posts. Today, we've compiled the most recent selection of images Sebastien added some color to, so you can admire the before and after effects of his work.
More info: Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Sergeant Franklin Williams, Home On Leave From Army Duty, With His Girlfriend Ellen Hardin, Splitting An Ice Cream, Baltimore, Maryland, March 1942
Photo by Arthur Rothstein
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#2
Actress Sophia Loren, Rome, 1963
Photo by Peter Basch
#3
Activities At Camp Nathan Hale, Southfields, New York, August 1943
Photo by Gordon Parks
#4
John Fitzgerald Kennedy And Jackie Kennedy In 1953
#5
Marilyn Monroe Reading, Beverly Carlton Hotel Los Angeles, 1952
Photo by André De Dienes
#6
Teenage Girls And Boys Train For Defense Work Made Possible By TVA At A National Administration School. Knoxville, Tennessee, June 1942
Photo by Arthur Rothstein
#7
James Dean And Elizabeth Taylor Taking A Break From Filming "Giant" In June 1955
Photo by Richard Crump Miller
#8
Street View, July 1958
Photo by Robert F. Kniesche
#9
Pedestrians On Broadway Look Through A Restaurant Window To Watch A Cook Prepare A Pot Of Spaghetti. New York, 1937
#10
Teenagers Walking In The Fallen Leaves, 1940s
Daniela Lavanza 2 years ago
Is it me or those teenagers looks definitely like people in their 30s? It's not the first time i have this feeling watching old pics where people looked older that today's people.
#11
People In Vale, Oregon, For The Fourth Of July Celebration
Photo by Russell Lee, in 1941
#12
Waiting Room At Greyhound Bus Depot, Detroit, Michigan, Photographed By John Vachon In August 1942
#13
Having A Drink In A Bar In Front Of The Moulin Rouge, Paris, Photographed In 1960
Amy Pontious 2 years ago
How fun it would have been to go to Moulin Rouge! Definitely looks like a ad!
#14
Marcello Mastroianni, Milan, 1960
#15
Claire Bloom And Richard Burton, Stars Of The Film "Look Back In Anger", Taking A Break From The Filming To Grab A Bite To Eat In A Cafe In London, 20th September 1958
#16
Italian Americans On The Lower Side Of Manhattan. Ice Vendor On Mulberry Street, January 1943
Photo by Marjory Collins
#17
Iconic Carhop Girl, Circa 1945
#18
Photographed By Russell Lee In May 1940
#19
High School Students Crossing The Street, Phoenix, Arizona, May 1940
Photo by Russell Lee
Tiny Dancer 2 years ago
Here's another angle of the same group of kids crossing the street: https://www.shorpy.com/node/23640
#20
Actress Doris Houck, Photographed In Los Angeles In 1945
#21
Betty Grable Photographed In 1943
#22
Mary Cumming, 21, Secretary In The Office Of Designer Raymond Loewy, New York, 1956
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
my gosh, I hope she didn’t have to copy the whole book in this position and with a magnifying glass !?! patience and fortitude, I bet you did !
#23
Actress Monica Vitti Reading Magazines At The Airport In Rome, July 1961
#24
Street Scene, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Summer 1937
Photo by Edwin Rosskam
#25
Rita Hayworth 1941
Photo by Bob Landry
#26
Young Pin Up Marilyn Monroe Posing For Earl Moran, 1947
#27
Center Market Place, New York, 1940
Photo by Andreas Feininger
#28
Chauffeurs And Limousines For The Garden Party At The New Zealand Legation, Washington, D.C., May 1942
Photo by Marjory Collins
#29
"Virginia Lively Used To Be A Beauty Operator. Today She Works At A Filling Station." Louisville, Kentucky, June 1943
Photo by Howard Hollem
#30
Sergeant George Camplair On One Of His Many Visits To The Post Exchange, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, September 1942
Photo by Jack Delano
#31
Waiting For A Stoplight In Washington, D.C., Spring 1939
Photo by David Moffat Myers
#32
Soldier With His Girlfriend, Arlington, Virginia, June 1943
Photo by Esther Bubley
#34
A Room At Idaho Hall, Arlington Farms, War Duration Residence Halls. Arlington County, June 1943
Photo by Esther Bubley
#35
Pennsylvania Turnpike. Trucker Paying Toll, July 1942
Photo by Arthur Rothstein
#37
114 Rue De Sèvres, Paris Photographed In 1950
#38
Boys And Girl On Bicycles, Detroit, Michigan, July 1942
Photo by Arthur Siegel
#39
Street In Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, January 1941
Photo by Jack Delano
#40
Unnamed
John Dilligaf 2 years ago
the sign on the truck says "City of Mt Clemens" or maybe it's "Mt Clemins" or "Mt Clements". The only town close to those I could find is Mt Clemens in Michigan, but the lack of snow in the picture close to Christmas kinda argues against it being in MI.
#41
Small Lunchroom Where Students Gather Near Phoenix Union High School. Phoenix, Arizona, May 1940
Photo by Russell Lee
#42
FSA Borrower And His Seven Children, Laredo, Montana, August 1941
Photo by Marion Post Wolcott
#44
New York. Looking North On Broadway At Times Square, September 1942
Photo by Marjory Collins
#45
September 1942. "Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Sergeant George Camplair Cleans His Rifle Regularly"
Photo by Jack Delano
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What do you think ?
Bob Collins 2 years ago
The title suggests that the colorized photos will, “Change The Way You Perceive History.” Uh, nope. Just because there’s color included doesn’t make the picture more or less interesting.
Bryn 2 years ago
Yes and many historians and archivists hate when people, other than the photographer colorize photos because you change it and it's not a true representation like the photograph
Load More Replies...
Ace 2 years ago
I can;t help but feel that some of these are much more evocative in their original monochrome form. Black & White photography remains an art form in itself to this day.
Marisol L. Banks 2 years ago
The colors were so saturated that many of these looked more like postcards.
smash17 2 years ago (edited)
Yeah, I thought a number of them were too saturated and the first one needed the red hue removed. But I suspect that if you're a photog, you're likely to be extra critical. Many are really well done and you can tell a lot of work went into all of them.
Load More Replies...
Bob Collins 2 years ago
The title suggests that the colorized photos will, “Change The Way You Perceive History.” Uh, nope. Just because there’s color included doesn’t make the picture more or less interesting.
Bryn 2 years ago
Yes and many historians and archivists hate when people, other than the photographer colorize photos because you change it and it's not a true representation like the photograph
Load More Replies... Ace 2 years ago
I can;t help but feel that some of these are much more evocative in their original monochrome form. Black & White photography remains an art form in itself to this day.
Marisol L. Banks 2 years ago
The colors were so saturated that many of these looked more like postcards.
smash17 2 years ago (edited)
Yeah, I thought a number of them were too saturated and the first one needed the red hue removed. But I suspect that if you're a photog, you're likely to be extra critical. Many are really well done and you can tell a lot of work went into all of them.
Load More Replies...
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