Hi, my name is Mario Unger, I'm a photographer and digital artist from Austria. Last year my main work was restoring and colorizing old photographs. In this post I show some of my favorites.

The reason for doing all of this work was to reduce the felt distance in time a little bit. I love B&W photography, but for some images I think, color is needed and most of B&W photography was done for one reason, there just was no color film!

If you want to see more, please follow me on social media.

More info: unarts.at | Instagram | Facebook

#2

Mulberry Street, New York, 1900

Mulberry Street, New York, 1900

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Ladies and Gentlemen
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Man.. this one would have taken ages to achieve this perfection!

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#3

Adrienne Ames ("From Hell To Heaven", 1933)

Adrienne Ames ("From Hell To Heaven", 1933)

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#4

Walter Catty Allen CA 1900

Walter Catty Allen CA 1900

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#5

Maud Wagner CA 1905

Maud Wagner CA 1905

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Emma Jayne
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Her name was Maud Wagner, she was the first known female tattoo artist in U.S.

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#6

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

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#7

Humphrey Bogart, "Casablanca", 1942

Humphrey Bogart, "Casablanca", 1942

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#8

Laurel Hardy, UK Tour, 1953

Laurel Hardy, UK Tour, 1953

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Alib
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's Laurel AND Hardy. Stan Laurel is on the right and Oliver Hardy is on the left.

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#9

Texas Couple, Early 20th Century, Heavy Restoration

Texas Couple, Early 20th Century, Heavy Restoration

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#10

Evelyn Nesbit CA 1900

Evelyn Nesbit CA 1900

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Alexandru Bucur
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is her hair blonde? Evelyn Nesbit famously had very dark auburn hair. There are a number of photographs of her in which the harsh lighting makes it look as if her hair is lighter than it actually was, but she was ever blonde! besides, if you look at another image from the same series, of her posing as "Thisbe", you will see her hair is definitely dark: large.jpg large.jpg

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#11

Picasso

Picasso

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BusLady
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He left such a legacy. His style constantly changed throughout his life, which made him unique.

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#12

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

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Rich Auntie Skeleton
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oscar Wilde would be the King of Instagram if he were alive today. You all know it.

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#13

East Side Jewish Market, 1895

East Side Jewish Market, 1895

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Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are so many details...that looks like so much work to colorize

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#14

Jerome, L.E., 1900

Jerome, L.E., 1900

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Hisseefit
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She looks like she modeled for Charles Gibson for his 'Gibson Girl' drawings. Beautiful.

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#15

Walt Disney, 1931

Walt Disney, 1931

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Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder what he's telling the cat here. Did Mickey Mouse have to be approved by a cat?

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#16

In Honor Of A Great Person. Sophia Magdalena Scholl (1921-1943). Executed 75 Years Ago By The Greatest Criminals Humanity Has Ever Seen

In Honor Of A Great Person. Sophia Magdalena Scholl (1921-1943). Executed 75 Years Ago By The Greatest Criminals Humanity Has Ever Seen

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April Simnel
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We could learn a lot today from these kids. Look at Sophie's face; she is absolutely down for the cause. They knew they could pay the ultimate penalty, yet they were willing to face that and do what was right in spite of that, God bless their souls.

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#17

Mark Twain

Mark Twain

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BusLady
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it just me, or do all those men look alike?

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#18

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo

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#19

Edmund Hillary, 1953

Edmund Hillary, 1953

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Ladies and Gentlemen
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I refuse to believe its colored, but at the same time I know it is. You are one talented human sire!

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#20

Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski

Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski

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#21

The Andrews Sisters

The Andrews Sisters

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BusLady
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing how different they all look, but they still resemble as well.

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#22

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

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#25

"Arsenic And Old Lace", 1944

"Arsenic And Old Lace", 1944

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Elisabeth Blackwood
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This movie is hilarious, if you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it.

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#26

Che Guevara

Che Guevara

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Pradeep M
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is excellent work. Regardless of what we think about the person.

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#27

Hellen Keller

Hellen Keller

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Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She was an amazing woman! Thanks for bringing her up here.

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#28

Old Man, 1890

Old Man, 1890

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Juana
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Old man take a look at my life, I'm alot like you.

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#29

Puppet Designer, 1936

Puppet Designer, 1936

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#30

Arthur Conan Doyle, 1922

Arthur Conan Doyle, 1922

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#31

Mary Badham And Gregory Peck In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (1962)

Mary Badham And Gregory Peck In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (1962)

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#32

Babe Ruth CA 1920

Babe Ruth CA 1920

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Sheila Lovelace
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was a big smoker. Babe Ruth died from nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 1948.

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#33

Silvia Sidney And Henry Fonda In "You Only Live Once" (1937)

Silvia Sidney And Henry Fonda In "You Only Live Once" (1937)

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Turnip and a Frog
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just a detali, really, but Fonda’s eyes were blue. But the whole selection is just fantastic :-)

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#34

Victor Hugo, 1876

Victor Hugo, 1876

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Destiny Rose
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my favorite authors. His imagery and story-telling is incredible. He was a true literary artist.

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#35

Buck Craske By Olive Edis CA 1910

Buck Craske By Olive Edis CA 1910

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Peak25500
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The photographer really mastered the light, or was it improved in post processing?

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#36

Last Photo Of Oliver Hardy, 1957

Last Photo Of Oliver Hardy, 1957

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#38

Colley, Mrs. F. & Bell, Mrs. C.M. 1901

Colley, Mrs. F. & Bell, Mrs. C.M. 1901

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Rich Auntie Skeleton
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'mma say it. I know it was the style back in the day, and they look AWESOME, don't get me wrong. But something about them gives me a Harry Potter vibe.

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#39

Grace Kelly With Robert Cummings, Famous Bruegel Painting On The Wall

Grace Kelly With Robert Cummings, Famous Bruegel Painting On The Wall

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Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's quite an impressive work to make the dress that shiny green. Sehr beeindruckend.

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#41

Buffalo Bill, 1906

Buffalo Bill, 1906

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#42

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

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Alexandru Bucur
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry, but that dress was actually yellow. She wore it in the 1956 film "High Society" which was shot in Technicolor: http://www.cinestylography.com/film-style-high-society-1956/

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#43

Child CA 1870

Child CA 1870

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lia minou
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the black and white restoration is beautiful

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#44

Laurel & Hardy, 1933

Laurel & Hardy, 1933

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rustic raven
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey what are we suppose to do with these silly things now that I have pulled this piece out of it ? Hey I don't know what does NITRO mean to you ?

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#45

Rachmaninoff CA 1915

Rachmaninoff CA 1915

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BusLady
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the B/W, his face looks so washed out. In the colour pic, his face looks much more 3 dimensional.

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#46

Fridtjof Nansen

Fridtjof Nansen

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Mick Fowler
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Brilliant work!

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#47

Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Leo Tolstoy, 1897

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#48

Boris Karloff As Imhotep In "The Mummy", 1932

Boris Karloff As Imhotep In "The Mummy", 1932

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#49

Marilyn Monroe, 1951

Marilyn Monroe, 1951

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#51

Toulouse Lautrec

Toulouse Lautrec

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Nadja Lambacher
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always adored his work. But like many artists he had a sad and lonely life. He thought he was unlovable because of his short stature.

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#52

Julie Adams In "Creature From The Black Lagoon", 1954

Julie Adams In "Creature From The Black Lagoon", 1954

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#53

Margaret O'Brien (1937-) In "Lost Angel" (1943)

Margaret O'Brien (1937-) In "Lost Angel" (1943)

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#54

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

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Eric Spence
Community Member
5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was a perfectionist, prone to temper, and was so into his work as are a lot of geniuses nowadays.

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#55

Powerhouse, 1920

Powerhouse, 1920

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#56

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo