Most often the color palette that we associate with historical pictures 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 historical 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 are used in the photo restoration 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 old photos in color, we can relate to them easier, and this makes the pictures a whole lot more powerful. Instead of seeing those black and white photos like we’re used to in history books, after the photo editing, we meet people that seem a lot more real, and situations – war scenes, for example – that look as if they have just happened.

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 historical facts and misinforming people. So, view the enhanced vintage photography critically. For more examples of coloring pictures and how it is done, check out the works of Sanna Dullaway and Redditor mygrapefruit from Sweden.

UPDATE: check out Historic Black and White Pictures Restored in Color (Part II)!

1. Abandoned Boy Holding a Stuffed Toy Animal. London 1945

Colorozed by: HansLucifer

Image credits: Toni Frissel

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

Colorozed by: Edvos

Image credits: canasanta.com

3. Young Boy in Baltimore Slum Area, July 1938

Colorozed by: photojacker

Image credits: John Vachon

4. Elizabeth Taylor – Giant (1956 film)

Colorozed by: malakon

Image credits: Frank Worth

5. Hindenburg Disaster – May 6, 1937

Colorozed by: Dana Keller

Image credits: Murray Becker

6. Japanese Archers, circa 1860

Colorozed by: photojacker

Image credits: badasshistoricalpictures.com

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

Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway

Image credits: nashville.about.com

8. Unemployed Lumber Worker, circa 1939

Colorozed by: zuzahin

Image credits: alafoto.com

9. Auto Wreck in Washington D.C, 1921

Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway

Image credits: hqdesktop.net

10. Big Jay McNeely Driving the Crowd at the Olympic Auditorium into a Frenzy, Los Angeles, 1953

Colorozed by: traquea

Image credits: Bob Willoughby

11. W.H. Murphy and his Associate Demonstrating their Bulletproof Vest on October 13, 1923

Colorozed by: zuzahin

Image credits: National Photo Company

12. Audrey Hepburn

Colorozed by: Danna Keller

Image credits: wallpaperswa.com

13. ‘Old Gold’, Country Store, 1939

Colorozed by: photojacker

Image credits: Dorothea Lange

14. Joseph Goebbels Scowling at Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt after Finding out he’s Jewish, 1933

Colorozed by: photojacker

Image credits: life.time.com

15. Nikola Tesla, 1893

Colorozed by: Danna Keller

Image credits: Napoleon Sarony

16. British Troops Cheerfully Board their Train for the First Stage of their Trip to the Western Front – England, September 20, 1939

Colorozed by: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor

Image credits: photosofwar.net

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

Colorozed by: Sanna Dullaway

Image credits: realeza.foros.ws

18. Walt Whitman, 1887

Colorozed by: Danna Keller

Image credits: studiotv.com.au

19. Mark Twain in the Garden, circa 1900

Colorozed by: zuzahin

Image credits: imgur.com

20. Charlie Chaplin at the Age of 27, 1916

Colorozed by: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor

Image credits: wikipedia.org

UPDATE: check out Historic Black and White Pictures Restored in Color (Part II)!