Contrary to the sepia-stained pictures filling our parents' and grandparents' photo albums, the past was just as vivid as the present.
Whether the bright red hues of a '50s sale notice, the rich green pitch at the 1920 Olympics, or the stunning yellow of a New Orleans street sign, our past is a lot more colorful than meets the eye.
From royal portraits to the stunning sights of Atlantic City's beach, here are 25 colorized photos from history, courtesy of @historycolored on Instagram.
1
“Chuck Yeager, a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight. Photograph taken in c. 1940s.”
2
“Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and cinematographer Arthur Edeson on the set of Michael Curtiz's 1942 iconic film ‘Casablanca.’”
3
“A man taking a photograph of people on the beach of Atlantic City, New Jersey in c. 1912.”
4
“N.E. Sauls Grocery & Sandwich Shop on a street corner in New Orleans, Louisiana, photographed by Walker Evans in January 1936.”
5
“A chestnut vendor on a street in Baltimore, Maryland, in c. 1905.”
6
“Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (center) seated in front of a portrait of her late husband, Prince Albert, with two of her daughters, Princess Louise (left) and Princess Alice (right), at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, in 1863.”
7
“An ice vendor on Mulberry Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City, photographed by Marjory Collins in January 1943.”
8
“A Budweiser Beer Wagon outside the Charlotte Bowling Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, photographed by John Vachon in March 1943.”
9
“Center Market Place in New York City photographed by Andreas Feininger in 1940.”
10
“A US Navy crewmember on the flight deck of the USS Monterey carrying a stack of sandwiches. Photograph taken at the start of the Battle of Saipan in June 1944.”
11
“The iconic London Milkman photograph taken by Fred Morley on the 9 October 1940 following a a German bombing raid in London, United Kingdom.”
12
“Photograph of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, taken by Jacob Olie around 5 pm on the 8 July 1893, just after the ascent of the aeronaut Léon Mary with his hot air balloon ‘Koningin Wilhelmina’ from the garden of the Paleis voor Volksvlijt.”
13
“A migratory agricultural worker from Florida photographed by Jack Delano as she waits to leave Belcross, North Carolina to another job at Onley, Virginia.”
14
“Albert Einstein (left) and Charlie Chaplin (right) attend the premiere of Chaplin's latest film "City Lights" in Los Angeles, United States on the 2 February 1931.”
15
“A New York City Taxi driver photographed by Albert Fenn in 1942.”
16
“A boy watches television through the window of an appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1948.”
17
“Men looking for work wait for the Washington State Employment Service office to open in the morning. Photograph taken by Russell Lee in Yakima, Washington in September 1941.”
18
“Courthouse Square in Kennett, Missouri, photographed by Arthur Rothstein in July 1942.”
19
“The pilot climbs out of an F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft that is hanging off the edge of the USS Charger aircraft carrier. Photograph taken on the 28 March 1943.”
20
“US Olympian Paddy Ryan competing in the hammer throw at the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium. Ryan won the gold medal in the hammer throw and the silver medal in the 56lb weight throw event. He set the first officially recognized hammer throw world record with a distance of 57.77 m (189 ft 6 in) set in 1913 and held for 25 years.”
21
“A young girl reads a comic book at a supermarket in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1958.”
22
“The Hancocks & Co. stand at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair, showcasing their jewelry and silverware.”
23
“Filling up at a Gas Station in Washington, D.C in 1920.”
24
“Employees of American Bridge Company (Unitied States Steel) waiting for bus in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, photographed by John Vachon in January 1941.”
25
“Three people playfully posing for a photograph in front of Villa Solhem in Helsinki, Finland in 1917.”
