These 58 Colorized Photos from the Past Provide a More Realistic View of History

Before the 1970s, most photographic images were not in color so our view of the past is normally only in black and white. Having the possibility of viewing colorized historical photos gives us a whole new perspective on the event.

No time to go through this list of colorized historical photos? Check out the video instead!

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Colorized History, a terrific subreddit, is an incredible resource for colorized historical pictures and really makes history feel a little closer. Viewing some of these events that happened over a hundred years ago, somehow doesn’t feel that long into the past because of the added color.

1) Marilyn Monroe.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Marilyn Monroe.
Source Unknown

2) Colorized historical photos of W.H. Murphy and his associate demonstrating their bulletproof vest in October 1923.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - W.H. Murphy and his associate demonstrating their bulletproof vest in October, 1923.
reddit.com

3) Harry Houdini steps into a crate at New York Harbor as part of an escape stunt in July 1912.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Harry Houdini steps into a crate at New York Harbor as part of an escape stunt in July, 1912.
reddit.com

4) Colorized historical photos of the Baltimore Slums, 1938.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Baltimore Slums, 1938.
Jordan J. Lloyd

5) Clint Eastwood working on his 1958 Jaguar XK 120 in 1960.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Clint Eastwood working on his 1958 Jaguar XK 120 in 1960.
reddit.com

6) American Poet and essayist, Walt Whitman, 1868.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - American Poet and essayist, Walt Whitman, 1868.
reddit.com

7) Charlie Chaplin at 27 years old, 1916.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Charlie Chaplin at 27 years old, 1916.
reddit.com

8) Colorized historical photos of British troops boarding the train for the first stage of their trip to the western front – England, September 20, 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - British troops board the train for the first stage of their trip to the western front - England, September 20, 1939.
reddit.com

9) World War 2 soldiers on Easter.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - World War 2 soldiers on Easter.
fascinatingpics.com

10) Joan Crawford on the set of Letty Lynton in 1932.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Joan Crawford on the set of Letty Lynton in 1932.
pinterest.com

11) Colorized historical photos of Times Square in 1947.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Times Square in 1947.
Jordan J. Lloyd

12) Drought-stricken farmer and his family near Muskogee, Oklahoma, 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Drought-stricken farmer and his family near Muskogee, Oklahoma, 1939.
reddit.com

13) Sigmund Freud in 1921.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Sigmund Freud in 1921.
reddit.com

14) A car crash in Washington D.C., 1921.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - A car crash in Washington D.C., 1921.
forrifarg.se

15) Two boxers after a boxing event.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Two boxers after a boxing event.
reddit.com

16) Colorized historical photos of Louis Armstrong playing to his wife, Lucille, in Cairo, Egypt in 1961.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Louis Armstrong plays to his wife, Lucille, in Cairo, Egypt in 1961.
Jordan J. Lloyd

17) Colorized historical photos of people standing in line in Louisville, Kentucky, 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - People standing in line in Louisville, Kentucky, 1939.
pastincolornow.com

18) Henry Ford, 1919.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Henry Ford, 1919.
Dana Keller

19) Colorized historical photos of an RAF pilot getting a haircut between missions while reading a book.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - An RAF pilot getting a haircut between missions while reading a book.
imgur.com

20) Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield.
reddit.com

21) Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with ALS, is emotional after retirement speech on July 4, 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with ALS, is emotional after retirement speech on July 4, 1939.
reddit.com

22) Future President John F. Kennedy just after his graduation from Harvard, 1940.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Future President John F. Kennedy just after his graduation from Harvard, 1940.
reddit.com

23) Colorized historical photos of Times Square, D-Day, 1944.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Times Square, D-Day, 1944.
reddit.com

24) View from the Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Civil War, 1864.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - View from the Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Civil War, 1864.
reddit.com

25) Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels scowls at a Jewish photographer in 1933.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels scowls at a Jewish photographer in 1933.
Source Unknown

26) Burger flipper, 1938.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Burger flipper, 1938.
Jordan J. Lloyd

27) Colorized historical photos of cabs waiting in Madison Square Park, New York in 1900.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Cabs waiting in Madison Square Park, New York in 1900.
reddit.com

28) Helen Keller meeting Charlie Chaplin, 1919.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Helen Keller meeting Charlie Chaplin, 1919.
reddit.com

29) Red Hawk of the Oglala Sioux on horseback in the Badlands of South Dakota, 1905.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Red Hawk of the Oglala Sioux on horseback in the Badlands of South Dakota, 1905.
reddit.com

30) Clint Eastwood in 1962.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Clint Eastwood in 1962.
Paul Edwards

31) Albert Einstein and David Rothman on a Long Island beach in the summer of 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Albert Einstein and David Rothman on a Long Island beach in the summer of 1939.
Paul Edwards

32) Allan Pinkerton, President Lincoln, and Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand at Antietam in 1862.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Allan Pinkerton, President Lincoln, and Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand at Antietam in 1862.
ladyanthesweatshop.com

33) Brothers Robert Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy outside the Oval Office.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Brothers Robert Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy outside the Oval Office.
Source Unknown

34) Louis Armstrong practicing in his dressing room, 1946.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Louis Armstrong practicing in his dressing room, 1946.
reddit.com

35) Colorized historical photos of Union soldiers taking a break in 1863.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Union Soldiers taking a break in 1863.
reddit.com

36) Cornell Rowing Team, 1911.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Cornell Rowing Team, 1911.
Ryan Urban

37) Australian mugshots from the New South Wales Police Dept in the 1920s.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Australian mugshots from the New South Wales Police Dept in the 1920s.
Dana Keller

38) Alfred Hitchcock.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Alfred Hitchcock.
Source Unknown

39) Boys buying flowers, 1908.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Boys buying flowers, 1908.
Dana Keller

40) Audrey Hepburn.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Audrey Hepburn.
Dana Keller

41) Charles Darwin.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Charles Darwin.
imgur.com

42) Babe Ruth’s MLB debut in 1920.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Babe Ruth’s MLB debut in 1920.
Dana Keller

43) Albert Einstein, 1921.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Albert Einstein, 1921.
Dana Keller

44) Unemployed lumber worker and his wife, 1939.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Unemployed lumber worker and his wife, 1939.
reddit.com

45) Big Jay McNeely at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, 1953.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Big Jay McNeely at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, 1953.
reddit.com

46) Samurai Training, 1860.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Samurai Training, 1860.
Jordan J. Lloyd

47) Claude Monet, 1923.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Claude Monet, 1923.
Dana Keller

48) Colorized historical photos of the Brooklyn Bridge, 1904.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Brooklyn Bridge, 1904.
Dana Keller

49) Elizabeth Taylor, 1956.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Elizabeth Taylor, 1956.
reddit.com

50) Winston Churchill, 1941.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Winston Churchill, 1941.
reddit.com

51) Mark Twain, 1900.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Mark Twain, 1900.
reddit.com

52) Colorized historical photos of a Washington, D.C. gas station in 1924.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - A Washington, D.C. gas station in 1924.
Imbued with Hues

53) Brigadier General and actor Jimmy Stewart. Stewart flew 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe and even flew one mission during Vietnam.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Brigadier General and actor Jimmy Stewart. Stewart flew 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe and even flew one mission during Vietnam.
Source Unknown

54) Young women delivering ice in 1918.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Young women delivering ice in 1918.
Dana Keller

55) Colorized historical photos of The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937.
Dana Keller

56) Colorized historical photos of Lee Harvey Oswald being led down the Dallas Police Headquarter’s basement for questioning on November 23rd, 1963.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Lee Harvey Oswald being led down the Dallas Police Headquarter's basement for questioning on November 23rd, 1963.
reddit.com

57) Famed painter and sculptor, Pablo Picasso.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - Famed painter and sculptor, Pablo Picasso.
reddit.com

58) A young boy seeing a television for the first time.

58 Colorized Photos from the Past - A young boy seeing a television for the first time.
reddit.com

These historical photos remind us of a time that seems so far away but yet so many things remain the same. If you like these photos of history, you’ll enjoy these 21 historical photos.

Please share these fascinating historical photos with your family and friends.

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