Adding Color to Black-White Photos



Color-A-C - 1954 curlersWhat did your ancestors look like in color?? We are so familiar with color photos for recent decades and yet we love having any photos available of our ancestors from the 1950s and earlier, even if they are black and white or with a sepia tone. Imagine now seeing those same vintage B/W photos colorized. Color-A-C - 1954 curlers-a

Start by clicking on this free and easy to use the link for Algorithmia.   You don’t have to create an account just click on the box, Upload Photo Box on the right of center of screen outlined in dashes. A box with your personal file directories from your computer should appear from which you can choose one of your photos.

To upload photos from your computer, click on the “Upload photo” box that is just below and to the right of the URL box. When you click on this box, a box will appear that contains are your files. Choose a photo that is in JPEG format (BMP formats are too big) and click on “Open.” It will let you know in a written message if a submitted photo format is not acceptable. If it is acceptable, wait a few seconds while it processes and then scroll down to see your photo. Beneath the photo, you have a choice to save the comparison image or the colourized images – a split screen. Just slide the purple vertical line back and forth to see the before and after. So cool to play with. Remember your original digital image is not damaged.  Color-Eva-1900

If you want to save the split screen comparison scroll just below the image and click on saving the comparison or you can select to save to your computer the colorized version. To do another image just return to the Upload Photo Box and select another image (JPEG only) from your computer. If you have an image that is not JPEG, convert it on a photo software program. It the image already has some tone, even lightly, the colorized version may appear different.  Color-Fishing-1905

If there is an image on the Internet, use the URL box only for uploading a photo from the Internet.

Now the colours of clothing are not always true and accurate to the real life time period. I found with doing some of my family images, most of the coloring appeared correct. Some buildings or landscape scenes appeared not as accurate. However, making old black and white photos with tints of color does give them a new dimension. 

Color-Nan-1944A fun and interesting project for anyone to do. A reminder — DO label these colorized vintage B-W photos as such and always keep the original print and digital B-W images. Try the Algorithmia site.

Photos: 1954- myself and my sister in curlers for our annual perm; Eva Bixler in 1900; fishing in Florida in 1905; and Split screen of Nan Everhart in 1943.

Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blogs:

Awesome Family Photos

Edit Vintage Images

Scanning Photos

< Return To Blog