Old Photographs Brought to Life With the Latest Colorization Techniques

Photographs taken over 100 years ago can appear like a foreign country, but the people in those photos did not experience the world in black and white.

For his latest project, digital artist and photo restorer Stuart Humphryes employed the latest color technology to restore images taken in the early 20th century.

The Colors of Life was created by Humphryes to connect his audience with the past. In his incredible colorization work, he wants the viewer to develop an intimacy and deeper emotional resonance with the people in these photographs.

Each image takes an average of several hours to clean up scratches and dust, repair damages, and fix light levels. Humphryes is also using the very last artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance and sharpen the details.

Humphryes collected early color photos, such as ones shot on Lippmann plates, Paget plats, and Autochromes. He took the faded hues of these early color photos and breathed fresh life into them to give a sharp, vibrant quality in a bid to challenge peoples’ assumptions of the past.

Humphryes wants readers of The Colors of Life “to see the past in a brand-new way — to see history enhanced and the true colors of life restored.”

Humphryes was previously a TV colorizer and worked on the BBC series Doctor Who where his work received critical acclaim.

The Colors of Life is out internationally on October 17 and is sold by Gestalten.