Historical Photos Colorized | Color Grading

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Jopa79

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Aug 14, 2016
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*I actually posted a similar thread on the OT Forum page, but the reception which I got (none) was pretty pathetic, so I decided to try again, if there was better interest in here
**Please, feel free to comment or share any kind of photos and opinions


I thought, maybe it could be fun, to post here, old, colorized photos by AI technology, or "manually colorized" using Photoshop, etc. If you are interested in color grading, I would appreciate very much, if you like to share the techniques you guys use:D

I'm prepared with some old colorized photos and a small quiz in here...can you connect the "dots" and merge the photos with correct stories:D

Construction Workers II.jpg

Photo I

HV.jpg

Photo II

Photo Restoration II.jpg

Photo III

SA.jpg

Photo IV

A = The Finnish Whites General Headquarters arrives to welcome and accept the victory parade after the Finnish Civil War in 1918
B = Construction workers having a break during the 1920's
C = Members of an amateur photography club waiting a ferry, probably to Korkeasaari - the Helsinki Zoo during the 1890's
D = Suomen Auto - Car Finland, a Finnish car dealership sales office having specialized in selling American cars in 1928

Should not be very hard ones...;)

Edit: All b/w photos: Helsinki City Museum
 
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Lotta asemalla introon PDX.jpg

"A Lotta" at Helsinki Railway Station, putting her id-papers into pocket. 6/20/1941. A few days before the outbreak of the Continuation War. Original image: SA-kuva. Color grading: Antique Film Gallery.

Lotta-Svärd was a Finnish paramilitary, auxiliary organization for women. It was active nearly 25 years. After the cease-fire in the Continuation War, the Allied Control Commission disbanded the Lotta-Svärd claiming it as a fascist organization.

During the WWII, Lotta-Svärd mobilized to replace Finnish men to be conscripted into the army. Thousands of Finnish men were available to be conscripted to due the Lotta-Svärd mobilizing.

It has been estimated, the value provided by the Lotta-Svärd for the Finnish war effort being priceless. Also, posthumously, the Finnish state leadership has sent compliments and blessings for Lotta-Svärd touching the organizations aid provided for the war effort.
 
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Nice pictures :) Are you colorizing them yourself?

Thank you:) Yes, I color the photos using programs designed for that purpose. Sometimes I let the AI first colorize the picture and then I upgrade it to give the final look.

Depending on the photo, it usually takes 5-24 hours to color grade the original pictures.
 
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Thank you:) Yes, I color the photos using programs designed for that purpose. Sometimes I let the AI first colorize the picture and then I upgrade it to give the final look.

Depending on the photo, it usually takes 5-24 hours to color grade the original pictures.
Wow :eek: Great job then. Looking forward to more.
 
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18158893-4B7F-46F6-B466-4CEB62D5BEFB.png

4FBFE566-4CBE-4F22-8738-755D93E78F81.jpeg

Ottilia Stenbäck, the Headmistress of the Finnish Girl’s School, later known as the Girls’ Normal Lyceum. A picture from 1878. Original image: Helsinki City Museum. Color grading: Antique Film Gallery.

The Finnish Girl’s School curriculum was equal to the modern curriculum of the basic elementary school and later, the Girls’ Normal Lyceum’s curriculum was equal to the modern curriculum of the highschools.

”A school, only the girls were allowed in” remained until 1969 while also boy students were accepted in this exact school. Since then, the school has been a common school, today, the Viikki Normal Lyceum under the University of Helsinki.

During the early 20th century, the trend was to achieve equality between the women and the men. The girl schools’ pursuit was to offer for the girls and for the young women a fairway, a channel to postgraduate or to prepare for the future occupation.
 
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I appreciate that you didn't oversaturate the colors, which is something I've seen in several other colorized photos, and which I find unrealistic and annoying. These look very natural; nice work.

The only thing that struck me as even slightly "off" was the lack of color in the buildings and sidewalk behind the two construction workers, particularly the building on the extreme left.
 
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Lindbergh BW Colorized.jpg

Colonel Charles Lindbergh visiting in Helsinki, September 1933. To left from Lindbergh, that's Gunnar Ståhle, a graduate engineer and the managing director of the Finnish Airline, Aero OY, now known as Finnair. Original black'n white photo: The Finnish Aviation Museum, Akseli Neittamo, the photographer. Color grading: Antique Film Gallery.

While making a long visit to Europe in 1933 Lindbergh and his wife were asked by Gunnar Ståhle to also visit in Helsinki. Charles and Anne accepted the invitation and spent a few days in Helsinki, 20-22/9/1933. Family Lindbergh landed the Finnish sea-airport at Katajanokka, the Helsinki airport was constructed later and was finished in 1938.

The Aero Oy civilian passenger plane, 'Kaleva' was shot down over the Gulf of Finland during the Interim Peace between Finland and the Soviet Union, in June 1940.
 
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Civil War Veteran to Colors.jpg

Unidentified US Civil War veteran in Grand Army of the Republic uniform with medals.

I could use some aid in choosing right colors with this still unfinished color graded photo. I'm especially interested about the colors of that hat, the uniform, the belt'n buckle and the medals.

If they only could find their way into this thread and give their best advice, our American buddies...I don't know, let's just say persons like @Andre Bolkonsky , @Yakman , @Director :D...is @noobermenschen an US guy...I'm not sure:p

Of course, any opinion by anyone is most welcome.

Original image: https://picryl.com/media/unidentifi...my-of-the-republic-uniform-with-medals-57c00b
 
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View attachment 764801
Unidentified US Civil War veteran in Grand Army of the Republic uniform with medals.

I could use some aid in choosing right colors with this still unfinished color graded photo. I'm especially interested about the colors of that hat, the uniform, the belt'n buckle and the medals.

If they only could find their way into this thread and give their best advice, our American buddies...I don't know, let's just say persons like @Andre Bolkonsky , @Yakman , @Director :D...is @noobermenschen an US guy...I'm not sure:p

Of course, any opinion by anyone is most welcome.

Original image: https://picryl.com/media/unidentifi...my-of-the-republic-uniform-with-medals-57c00b
officers often had their own uniforms made. could be a custom one, so there's no way to really know. but the blue is a tad light [imho] for an 'official' uniform.
 
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officers often had their own uniforms made. could be a custom one, so there's no way to really know. but the blue is a tad light [imho] for an 'official' uniform.

The photo is probably shot in the 1910's - 1930's. Could that still be the original uniform from the Civil War era, or more likely later made? I was thinking, the officers hat could be a real deal?
 
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Those colors are, I think close but not exact. The tunic should be a darker navy blue and the Hardee hat should be black. I don't know if the belt would be white canvas or leather - apparently that varied a lot. The blue and black would have faded with age, sweat and use - if the uniform is original, which it probably is. Wool uniforms last a long time if properly cared for.


I was thinking, the officers hat could be a real deal?
That's not necessarily an officer's hat, that is a style of hat proposed by William Hardee, writer of military manuals and later a general in the Confederate Army. The wider brim and tall crown were supposed to make it more comfortable than the French-style forage hat. Among other units, the elite Pennsylvania 'Iron Brigade' were distinguished by their Hardee hats, and were also referred to as the Black Hats.

 
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Those colors are, I think close but not exact. The tunic should be a darker navy blue and the Hardee hat should be black. I don't know if the belt would be white canvas or leather - apparently that varied a lot. The blue and black would have faded with age, sweat and use - if the uniform is original, which it probably is. Wool uniforms last a long time if properly cared for.



That's not necessarily an officer's hat, that is a style of hat proposed by William Hardee, writer of military manuals and later a general in the Confederate Army. The wider brim and tall crown were supposed to make it more comfortable than the French-style forage hat. Among other units, the elite Pennsylvania 'Iron Brigade' were distinguished by their Hardee hats, and were also referred to as the Black Hats.


I appreciate the links which you provided, thank you. Already read through those.

Though, I’m still having difficulties to find the overcoat (the one which the veteran wears in the photo) from the Civil War era photos. I think, the mantle looks a bit more modern than which they wore during the 1860’s. But I might be wrong as well.
 
The problem with colorizing an "Unidentified" ACW veteran is that each state had its own uniforms, and even blue and gray were used by a few states on the opposite side of the conflict from what you might expect. Several states even mixed blue and gray pants and jackets, and then you had things like the colorful Zouave pants.....

My assumption would be that the hat should either be black or very dark blue. The uniform color for most of the Northern states would roughly match this forum's deep blue background color that I'm seeing (although that's probably selectable in some menu), so there's probably a bit too much green in the current image's uniform color. The uniform could have faded somewhat by repeated washings, but the deep navy blue still wouldn't develop that slightly teal look as shown.

I'm not even remotely close to being one of the so-called "Stitch Nazi" re-enactors who will forever shun you for having the wrong design on the buttons of your Civil War reproduction uniform, or the wrong style of thread holding it on, but I've been introduced to enough of the details to have some vague ideas about it. Apparently, some items and materials were only made by one or two specific manufacturers, so anything else is "wrong" to the purists. They'd crucify you for those colors.
 
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Union Civil War Veteran.jpg


Okay, this might be the final print.
 
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BF-109-G6.jpg

Having the Luftwaffe emblems in its fuselage and on the wing, a German fighter BF-109 G6 is prepared and being warmed-up for the impending combat flight during the Great Air Raids against Helsinki in February 1944 at Helsinki-Malmi airport. Original image: SA-Kuva/SA-Picture. Color grading: Antique Film Gallery.

During the Tehran Conference in 1943, Stalin negotiated with Roosevelt and Churchill for instance, the Soviet urge, to force Finland to exit the WWII. One of the Soviet claims for the Allied leaders was to get an approval for Soviet air raids against the Finnish capital, to break the Finnish will to fight and force Finland to sign a peace. The United States and the Great-Britain accepted this Soviet plea.

In February 1944, the Soviet Union launched three separate massive night-air-raids against Helsinki. The operation was participated by over 2 000 Soviet fighter- and bomber planes. After the the first raid, Finland requested German support to counter the future air raids. The Finnish request was accepted - 12 German Messerschmitt BF-109 G6 -fighters were sent to assist the Helsinki air-defense. One of those 12 fighters is being warmed-up for combat mission in the above picture.
 
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Allegedly 1869, Athens.

247085584_10227183707195407_3498649801741191924_n.jpg
 
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