Photography has been around long enough to have captured some of the most iconic, dramatic and terrifying moments in history, as well as many prominent figures of the 19th and 20th century. And while this is a marvel in itself, and we’re incredibly fortunate to be able to see these iconic photographs, to begin with, wouldn’t it be fun to see all these photos in color? As for us, color is incredibly important, it makes any image instantly more relatable and alive, and so we greatly value the work of artists that colorize old photos, breathing new life into these already familiar images.
Mario Unger is one of such talents, and his works are immaculately detailed and accurate. In this article, we showcase 17 of his incredible colorizations dedicated to history and famous historical personalities of the past two centuries. You can see more of the artist’s works on his Instagram, Facebook, and Website.
1. Portrait of Oscar Wilde (1882)
2. Photo Taken at the Premiere of the Film 'City Lights' (1931) of Albert Einstein and his wife Elsa with Charlie Chaplin
3. Portrait of Sir Winston Churchill
4. The Launch of a Steamer in St.Clair, Michigan on September 2, 1905 (Original Photo by Frank J. Hecker)
5. Portrait of Sigmund Freud in 1920 by Photographer Max Halberstadt
6. Photo of Female Workers during World War I Fueling Kilns with Charcoal at The Glebe Sugar Refinery Co. (1918, Greenock, Scotland)
7. Italian Race Car Driver Ugo Sivocci at the Targa Florio Automobile Race in an Alfa Romeo (1922)
8. Portrait of Czar Nikolai II of Russia
9. Destitute Pea Pickers in California, Portrait of a Mother of Seven (1936, Nipomo, CA)
10. NASA Engineers Testing a Saturn I Rocket Model in a Wind Tunnel
11. Two Children in the Warsaw Ghetto, Poland (Original Photograph by Joel Bellviure)
12. Portrait of an American Soldier during World War I Opening a Red Cross Christmas Box (1917)
13. A Clam Cart on the Streets of New York City (1900)
14. Annie Oakley, the Renowned Sharpshooter (c. 1903)
15. President Abraham Lincoln and General George B. McClellan Conversing in the General's Tent (October 3, 1863, Antietam, MD)
16. Portrait of the Cheyenne Indian Chief Wolf Robe (1904)
17. American Pilot Flies Past Mount Vesuvius, Italy, on March 18, 1944. The Volcano Eruption Killed 57 and Destroyed the Villages of San Sebastiano and San Giorge