Amazing color photographs from the past

Nikolai · February 4, 2008

All this time I've under the impression that color photography pretty much didn't exist until mid-XX century. I was so wrong.
A colleague of mine sent me this link:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/
about Russian photographer who took absolutely stunning color images in early 1900-ies using separate color plates. And while I understand the idea was probably pioneered long before him, I never seen the results from that era that were so true-to-life quality.

Dee · February 4, 2008

I stumbled upon that site several years ago, and while I understand the concept of R-G-B, it's still amazing to me that color photos could be produced that way.

Bendr · February 4, 2008

That's Really Cool!

Thanks for sharing!

Richard · June 27, 2011

I'm reviving an old thread because today a friend sent me a link to a sampling of this collection that appeared a year ago in the Boston Globe. It's easier to view than the LOC version, though it represents only a tiny fraction of the whole set. Check it out: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html Remarkable stuff.

ziggy53 · June 27, 2011

Richard wrote: »

I'm reviving an old thread because today a friend sent me a link to a sampling of this collection that appeared a year ago in the Boston Globe. It's easier to view than the LOC version, though it represents only a tiny fraction of the whole set. Check it out: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html Remarkable stuff.

Thanks Richard, fascinating stuff.

For a little extra treat, try viewing image number 14 with anaglyph (red/blue) glasses. I believe you will see some 3-D effect due to the moving water between the separate images and the stick moved:

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/prokudin_08_20/p12_00003966.jpg

Amazing color photographs from the past

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