Colourising black and white photos

[Mikkel]

I was rather taken by these colourised photos, and how the colouring makes the past seem much less distant:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/09/colorized-photos_n_4242066.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010

 

But could it realistically be done to old railway photos, and should it?

 

(never mind the Huffington post, someone directed me there!)

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Some of the finest early images were hand coloured back in the day, so there's precedent.

 

The only caveat is to leave clear evidence on the image that this has been modified from monochrome on date, and it is therefore not a colour reference in any way.

[Andy Y]

They're really well done; I love the Mark Twain portrait

[Londontram]

I was rather taken by these colourised photos, and how the colouring makes the past seem much less distant:

But could it realistically be done to old railway photos, and should it?

 

 

Yes why not, they were shot in black and white because colour was not really an option but if it was I bet most would have used it given half the chance. I have in my collections a series of sea side postcards from about 1900 and they are black and white photo's that have been hand coloured so even back then they wanted the view to be seen in colour

[BoD]

They're really well done; I love the Mark Twain portrait

And the Goebbels one is frightening.....

 

....... but not as frightening (in a brings tears to the eyes sort of way) as the Russian artist on the side bar.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/10/man-nails-testicles-red-square_n_4250355.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

[Mikkel]

Yes why not, they were shot in black and white because colour was not really an option but if it was I bet most would have used it given half the chance. I have in my collections a series of sea side postcards from about 1900 and they are black and white photo's that have been hand coloured so even back then they wanted the view to be seen in colour

 

I agree, and it would be quite something to see some of the old pre-grouping shots done like this.

 

I can see problems too, though. It could be quite confusing and misleading if people started populating the internet with images showing the wrong liveries or the wrong shades of liveries!

[bluebottle]

I agree, and it would be quite something to see some of the old pre-grouping shots done like this.

 

I can see problems too, though. It could be quite confusing and misleading if people started populating the internet with images showing the wrong liveries or the wrong shades of liveries!

 

One of my earliest memories, from the late forties, is of seeing some colourised photographs of old locomotives in a shop window in Edinburgh. "Look, Granny, blue ingines!" "Aye, son, that's what colour the Caley ones used to be." It had never occurred to me that railway engines could be any other colour but dirty wartime black, never mind such a beautiful shade of blue - presumable an accurate representation if they'd been so treated in pre-group days. If some reputable photographic retoucher could produce some such retro images now, I'd be in the market for some.

 

Edit: punctuation.

[The Bigbee Line]

I'm in the Yahoo Group on the Southern Railway (USA)  There is a guy who had done some grand renditions in color of black and white photos.  the other advantage is that he is able to update the image to show the correct detail for the time period.  I will try and email him to get the OK to post some on RM web

[stewartingram]

I can remember starting school, and soon after that, having my school photo taken. I was wearing a jumper that Mum had knitted, one of those 50s-fashionable multi-coloured ones, loads of horizontal stripey patterns in it. When we got the photo done, the colours were totally wrong - it was a hand coloured print from a b/w original. I pity the guy who had to colour it though.

 

Stewart

[jeff alvey]

I can remember seeing my first cowboy film in colour and being horrified by it.

It just wasn't "real" at all.

Cowboys were always black and white.

 

Slightly off topic: I was utterly disgusted when they used Hopalong Cassidy to make a safety film on "how to cross the road" - I MEAN what the hell did cowboys know about crossing the road.

I think these events may have contrbuted to my becoming "Miffed of Maidenhead" and thereby ruining my youth.

[Ozexpatriate]

Are we convinced the 'proper colour' for picture 8 is crimson lake?

 

Or was that just a guess? Perhaps some 1939 coaching experts would know?

 

1980s 'Colorization' (of the Turner kind) had a lot of gaffes. Famously a Frank Sinatra movie ended up with brown eyes.  Picture 15 looks about right for Liz Taylor.

[Mikkel]

Are we convinced the 'proper colour' for picture 8 is crimson lake?

 

Or was that just a guess? Perhaps some 1939 coaching experts would know?

 

1980s 'Colorization' (of the Turner kind) had a lot of gaffes. Famously a Frank Sinatra movie ended up with brown eyes.  Picture 15 looks about right for Liz Taylor.

 

I was also wondering about that coach livery. I assume it's supposed to be LMS livery, but can't remember if the inside red line is right? Actually, I'm not sure it is?

 

As for Liz Taylor, that photo made me understand what all the fuss was about.

[Mikkel]

Interesting, and a good example of how easily it can go wrong.

 

I heard an interview with Mads Madsen who has colourised some of the photos in the link, and he seemed to have done a fair bit of research on his work. But I suppose you will need a *lot* of specialized knowledge to get every detail I right. In this case it seems a bit of a clanger. The dangerous bit is that the photo of the Maunsel coach *looks* so right if you don't know better.

 

Mads Madsen has also done this one which is out of focus but it makes the American civil war come uncomfortably alive, I think: http://min.us/lb12cYsPgGM1FO

 

On a lighter note, I'd like to see him have a go at GWR wagon red ;-)

[Ozexpatriate]

The coach is actually a Southern Railway Maunsell High window, presumably third class.  The lining is yellow - thin line and black - thick line.

The coach colour should be olive green.

That's what I was thinking, but I'm no expert on Maunsell stock, despite having some of Hornby's lovely models of them.

 

There's no way to infer accurate colours from black and white prints without some educated guessing or knowing what the particular emulsions were.

 

On a lighter note, I'd like to see him have a go at GWR wagon red ;-)

(Which is the bit I flagged as funny.) The civil war photo was quite tragic.