40 Must-See Historic Colorized Photos That Will Change How You See The Past

Up until the 1970s, color photography was extremely rare, and so when we think about history prior to that time, we often envision it in black and white. Today’s technology now enables us to “colorize” historical photos, giving us our only chance at seeing what the world really looked like back then. And it was truly spectacular. Take a trip back in time through these photos below. It’s quite incredible to see Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein in living color. 1. Winston Churchill, 1941 2. Burger Flipper 1938. 3. Girls delivering ice, 1918. 4. Helen Keller meeting comedian Charlie Chaplin in 1918. 5. Lee Harvey Oswald, 1963, being transported to questioning before his murder trial for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 6. Times Square 1947. 7. Lou Gehrig, July 4, 1939. The photo was taken right after his famous retirement speech. He would pass away just two years later from ALS. 8. Brigadier General and actor Jimmy Stewart. Stewart flew 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe and even flew one mission during Vietnam. 9. Claude Monet in 1923. 10. Mark Twain in 1900. 11. Country store in July 1939. Gordonton, North Carolina. 12. Joan Crawford on the set of Letty Lynton, 1932. 13. British Soldiers Returning from the front in 1939. 14. Hindenburg Blimp crash. 15. Samurai Training 1860. 16. Marilyn Monroe. 17. Madison Square Park New York City around 1900. 18. Albert Einstein, 1921. 19. Big Jay McNeely, Olympic Auditorium, 1953. 20. Elizabeth Taylor in 1956. 21. Charlie Chaplin at 27 years old in 1916. 22. Clint Eastwood, 1962. 23. WWII soldiers on Easter. 24. Union Soldiers taking a break 1863. 25. Audrey Hepburn. 26. Albert Einstein on a Long Island beach in 1939. 27. 1920s Australian mugshots from the New South Wales Police Dept. 28. Two Boxers after a fight. 29. Brooklyn Bridge in 1904. 30. Louis Armstrong plays to his wife, Lucille, in Cairo, Egypt 1961. 31. An Oklahoman farmer during the great dust bowl in 1939. 32. Boys buying flowers in 1908. 33. A Washington, D.C. filling station in 1924. 34. Louis Armstrong practicing backstage in 1946. 35. President Lincoln with Major General McClernand and Allan Pinkerton at Antietam in 1862. 36. A car crash in Washington D.C. around 1921. 37. Unemployed Lumber Worker and His Wife 1939. 38. An RAF pilot getting a haircut while reading a book between missions. 39. Cornell Rowing Team 1907. 40. Brothers Robert Kennedy, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy outside the Oval Office. Credits: boredomtherapy.com