The mental images we have of the Great Depression and World War II are largely blurry and colorless due to the fact that most photos from those days are in black and white. While the familiar photos are filled with pathos, they usually fail to make the 1940s tangible. A few years ago, the Library of Congress released about 1,700 previously unseen photos depicting the realities of American life in the early 1940s in original color.
These fascinating images “focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working,” according to the Library of Congress website. The vivid colors help us better understand what the United States looked like in a bygone era, rife with different struggles. Below you will find a selection of these fascinating and rare historical photos.
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Related: 22 Rare and Beautifully Colorized Historical Photos
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Related: 25 Gripping Photos Depicting Monumental Historical Events
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Related: 20 Photos that Celebrate Fashionable Women in the 1940s and 1950s
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
Image Source: Library of Congress / Flickr
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