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.