Top 10 Colorized Photos from history

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One of our top 10 most read stories last year was our showcase of the work being done by digital artist Dana Keller. He, along with many other artists, have been taking old black and white images and bringing their subjects to life via various colorization techniques. While these colorized photos have proven to be both popular and controversial, I applaud them for sparking conversation and causing some to explore forgotten historical figures and subjects, where they would not have otherwise.

To further recognize this growing artistic specialty, please enjoy these 10 sets of images that have produced for me a wide array of emotions and brought new life to iconic figures and important moments:

Albert Einstein

Colorization of Albert Einstein, by Mads Madsen, AKA: Zuzahin.

Original photo taken in 1948 by Yousuf Karish.

Civil War

Black “Teamsters” or “Wagoneers” colorized by Mads Madsen, AKA: Zuzahin.

Original photo taken in 1964. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

The Great Depression

North Carolina country store, 1939. Colorization by Jordan J Lloyd.

North Carolina country store during the Great Depression

Original photo taken by Dorthea Lange in 1939.

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Dorothea Lange’s iconic image Migrant Mother. Colorization by Sanna Dullaway.

Stalin and Churchill at the Yalta Conference

Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin at Yalta

Colorization by Mads Madsen, AKA: Zuzahin.

Original photo taken in 1945. Photographer unknown.

The Holocaust

Women and children arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Colorization by Dana Keller.

Women and children arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau on May 27, 1944. Photographer unknown, but courtesy of the Auschwitz Album.

V-Day Kiss in Times Square

The grand kiss on V-Day. Original photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Colorization by Sanna Dullaway.

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Louis Armstrong

Colorization by Dana Keller

Original photo taken in 1946 at the Aquarium in New York. Photo: William Gottlieb.

Johnny Cash

Colorization by Mads Madsen, AKA: Zuzahin.

Original photo. Photographer unknown.

March on Washington, 1963

Colorization by Dana Keller.

Original photo by Warren Leffler.

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George Wead

Technically, this is beautiful work—especially the NC store. Personally, I have an old coot’s upbringing and perception. Emotionally, color doesn’t work for me in these photos. The refugees remind me of picknickers; the migrant mother’s troubles seem lightened; the black soldiers are prettier. Yes, they all would look like this if they had been shot originally in color. But they weren’t. The black-and-white itself places the originals at another time and place, in a past which casts its light in tones of gray—look at that store front; Lange has captured a different tone for virtually every surface. They are like etchings, if you wish, and those of us who remember our first experience of them may, like me, see in color a ruination of the entire creative and cultural life that went into them. Again, the technical work is superb. It should be used for fresh creation, not remodeling.
- Adam_Leipzig
  
  I agree, George. And the Dorthea Lange photo proves the point. It is about 99% less powerful in color.
TodHardin

Interesting comments. I go back and forth, but without hesitation I really value both versions of each photo – and do appreciate the colorized versions specifically for how they have opened a different path of interpretation for me. I will say that I don’t agree at all that Migrant Mother is 99% less powerful because color has been added to it (sorry Adam). I think the struggle of Florence Owen Thompson is too obviously powerful to be diminished by the addition of color. One thing I can say with certainty, after having posted these about a week ago, is that the split between those that love them and those that don’t has almost always been generational. Those that are 35 or younger have loved the colorized versions with the most common reaction being something along the lines of “It makes them all seem more human and more relatable … more real.” Those that are 50+ and have offered their comments to me have typically not cared for the colorized versions. And then there are those like me that fall someplace in between and seem to be all over the place on opinion! I say appreciate both versions for what they are. And what I am is happy .. smiling because the fine work of amazing creatives is in discussion.
Dirk A. Simonsz

I have always been a fan of black and white photography, as an artisic medium. A lot of these earlier pictures though, would have been shot in colour if the photographer had the means to do so. For most people, it was out of reach till after the 2nd WW. I would always like to see them side by side though.

Top 10 Historical Colorized Photos

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