Zack Walkter

While color photography has been widely available to even the most amateur of photographers since the 1970s, the rest of the long history of photography was only captured in black and white. Because of that, for modern generations, the past itself seems to be colored only in black and white. But what if you could see the past in color? It would bring it absolutely alive, which would make the events depicted more familiar and thus more real. That’s what a handful of extremely talented digital artists are doing to images from the 19th and early 20th centuries. You will be amazed at how current, present – and sometimes heartwarming or terribly sad – the photographs become when they are colorized. Prepare yourself to view the past with a new appreciation … and intensified emotion! imgur.com May 8, 1945. Although this looks like a scene from HBO’s Band of Brothers, it’s the real life Band of Brothers, celebrating V-E Day at Hitler’s hilltop compound in the Bavarian Alps, known as “Eagle’s Nest.” Pictured here, looking relaxed and terribly handsome, almost as if they hadn’t been fighting a world war for several years, are Major Richard Winters, Captain Lewis Nixon, and other officers of “Easy Company,” part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. #straightoutofcentralcasting imgur.com November 10th, 1943. Another one that looks like it’s from a movie set but isn’t, this is Lieutenant Walter L. Chewning, Jr. leaping on top of the burning fuel tank of an F6F-3 Hellcat in a desperate effort to save the pilot. Ensign Byron M. Johnson had crash-landed right on that fuel tank, sparks from the propeller flew and the whole thing went up in flames. Thankfully, the rescue aboard the USS Enterprise was a success. After all, Ensign Johnson went on to shoot down eight Japanese planes over Iwo Jima in 1945 and won the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, eight air medals and numerous other awards before the war’s end. imgur.com Colorizing these historical photos can really mess with your mind. That “straight into the camera stare” makes this look like a still from Inglourious Basterds. In reality, it’s American troops preparing Nazi Major General Anton Dostler for execution after he was found guilty of war crimes. Dostler was the commander of German 75th Army Corps when he ordered and oversaw the execution of 15 US Army soldiers in Italy on March 26th, 1944. Dostler’s well-deserved sentence was death; he was (fittingly!) executed by a 12-man firing squad on December 1st, 1945. imgur.com June 6th, 1944: D-Day. The Normandy landings begin with this eery shot from inside one of the amphibious landing craft carrying troops from the 16th Infantry Regiment, U.S. 1st Division. Landing on Omaha Beach, the men waded ashore as part of the (as we all know, successful) Allied military campaign to free France. Seeing this in color from the perspective of the men heading straight into the jaws of death makes it all pretty real, doesn’t it? imgur.com King George V at Buckingham Palace in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, a conflict in which the rule of two of his cousins, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, fell. While King George ruled for a respectable 26 years, he is the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch in history. So while we’ve never seen her in a hat quite that fabulous, she wins! imgur.com Family portrait before the whole thing came crashing down. This is Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his children with Cossack officers in 1916, just two years before the entire family was executed at Yekaterinburg. imgur.com This is what kids in the city looked like in the early 20th century … at least the ones who had to work for a living. Taken by Lewis Hine, an investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), this was part of a project documenting working and living conditions of children in the United States. Hine and his Investigator, Edward F. Brown, interviewed the children extensively. That’s how we know that this image features a boy named Richard Pierce and the following details: “Photograph was taken at 723 Walnut St. Western Union Telegraph Co. Messenger No. 2. 14 years of age. 9 months in service. Works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Smokes. Visits houses of prostitution.” Yikes. imgur.com The Wright Flyer I, the Wrights’ first powered airplane, flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. The Wright Flyer I enjoyed a 12-second flight, traveling 120 ft, with Orville piloting, lying (uncomfortably) prone at the controls. That’s Wilbur running alongside at the wingtip. The rest is history! imgur.com Following the World War II victory in Europe over Germany (but before the surrender of Japan) Gen. George S. Patton Jr., arrived at Los Angeles Municipal Airport (now Los Angeles International Airport) for a welcome home tour. Here, General Patton stands and waves during a victory procession on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Fun fact: Patton grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of San Marino! imgur.com Blackfoot Piegan Native Americans in Northern Montana, ca. 1908. By this time, the Blackfeet Indians were living under the Treaty of 1896, which gives Blackfeet tribal members the right to hunt and fish in any portion of the Montana “Badger-Two Medicine” area, which is within the Lewis and Clark National Forest. America has kept very few of its promises to the original inhabitants so chances are good this didn’t go on for long … but, lordy, this is beautiful in color! imgur.com US President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir on Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, 1903. Earlier in the year, Roosevelt had written to Muir asking Muir to take him through the Yosemite. That’s how these two men ended up on a three-day camping trip that changed the American landscape… literally. Roosevelt returned to Washington so enthusiastic about conserving America’s forests and wilderness areas that he pushed Congress to pass laws to protect our natural resources, created the U.S. Forest Service, preserved national monuments, parks, and wildlife sanctuaries—and saved approximately 230 million acres of public land for all Americans for all time. That’s a very successful camping trip, John Muir. Thanks! imgur.com HRH Princess Elizabeth II, aged 18, 1944. Three years later, she would marry Prince Phillip. And just eight years later, at age 26, she would begin serving as the longest reigning monarch in British history. Well done there! imgur.com Banana Docks, East River, New York, ca. 1890-1910. While this looks like a still from a modern day movie, it’s an actual photograph of everyday life in NYC at the turn of the last century. The colorizing of this image really brings the past alive: a ship carrying bananas from a faraway port is docked at the East River, the haggling by purchasing agents has begun, horse-drawn carts are lined up, waiting to be loaded before they head out the markets just blocks away in the city. Manhattan’s impressive skyline looms in the background, and we can just imagine the sounds and smells of this exciting time of growth and change in this very busy city! imgur.com Swedish Sami, an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic area of Sapmi, in front of a pretty cool looking turf hut, ca. 1885-1892. Sweden. The Sami are reindeer herders whose way of life was dramatically impacted by the constant shifting of borders amongst the land-grab-happy Europeans. This image was taken at the time of a huge cultural shift for these historic peoples which, over time, has all but obliterated their way of life. It sure looked pretty and peaceful here, though… and that’s a pretty fancy hat for a guy wearing no shoes. Source: Burstdaily Related: Then And Now: Same People Photographed As Young Adults And 100-Year-Olds Never-Before-Seen Photographs Of A Young Princess Diana