16 Colorized Portraits of Historical Figures

Written by Rachel Schneider on October 14, 2025

Split image: On the left, a smiling man in a shearling coat sits outside. On the right, Albert Einstein stands and gestures while speaking to a group of seated young men in suits in a classroom.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words and all, but when they’re in black and white, it’s hard to imagine what certain moments in time were really like. The same goes for historical figures. Luckily, technology has come a long way, and bringing a photo to life with a little colorization can help us visualize what a monumental figure in history actually looked like. Here are 16 colorized photos that offer an entirely different perspective on the men and women we’ve come to know through history books.

1. Mata Hari Performing on Stage (1905)

A woman in elaborate, beaded costume with gold jewelry, a headdress, and flowing red and blue fabric poses barefoot on a stage with a scenic backdrop of hills and columns. — ectheow3 / Reddit.com

2. Young Bill Clinton Meeting JFK (1963)

A group of young men in white shirts stand outdoors as one shakes hands with an older man in a suit. The group appears to be participating in a formal or ceremonial event. Trees and more people are visible in the background. — tadal / Reddit.com

3. Elizabeth L. Gardner, WASP Pilot (1943)

A smiling woman wearing a headset and military uniform leans out of the cockpit window of an aircraft, with blue sky visible in the background. — QuickShifter87 / Reddit.com

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. (1930s)

5. George Washington Carver (1942)

Elderly man with gray hair and a mustache, wearing a dark suit with a tan shirt and gold flower pin, looking thoughtfully into the distance against a blurred, neutral background. — jecinci / Reddit.com

6. Amelia Earhart (1932)

A woman with short brown hair sits on a wooden chair, wearing a brown leather jacket over a green shirt and a blue-green scarf, with a neutral expression and one hand resting on her lap. The background is dark and blurred. — rishicolors / Reddit.com

7. Abraham Lincoln (1865)

A historic portrait of Abraham Lincoln seated, wearing a dark suit and bow tie, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression against a plain background. — BurchardColbert / Reddit.com

8. Samuel James Battle, the First Black Police Officer in New York (1911)

A Black police officer in a formal blue uniform and cap stands indoors in front of a light-colored wall, casting a shadow behind him. The floor is wooden and there is a metal railing to the right. — PeJae / Reddit.com

9. Bonnie and Clyde (Early 1930s)

A man in a suit holds a hat while a woman in a burgundy and brown outfit sits on the car’s front bumper, hugging him. They pose in front of a vintage blue car on a rural road with bare trees and blue sky. — Mediiicaliii / Reddit.com

10. Billie Holiday Performing in NYC’s First Integrated Club (1939)

A female singer performs on stage in a crowded, smoky jazz club, surrounded by seated, well-dressed patrons at tables filled with drinks, all focused on her performance. — StevenMaurer / Reddit.com

11. Hacksaw Ridge Hero Desmond Doss With His Wife (1945)

A smiling woman in a navy blue outfit stands next to a smiling man in a World War II-era military uniform, both posing in front of a U.S. flag and the White House. The man wears medals on his jacket. — jecinci / Reddit.com

12. Roald Dahl and Ernest Hemingway (1944)

A man in a blue military uniform walks beside an older man with a beard wearing a brown jacket and tan pants on a city sidewalk, both appearing engaged and focused. Trees and a streetlamp are in the background. — CelebManips / Reddit.com

13. Mexican Revolutionary Emiliano Zapata in Mexico City (1914)

A man wearing a large sombrero, dark suit, vest, and red tie stands confidently with one hand on his hip and a gun holstered at his side, against a vintage studio backdrop. — StevenMaurer / Reddit.com

15. Claude Monet in His Garden (1905)

An older man with a long white beard, wearing a hat, suit, and suspenders, stands on a garden path beside a pond with water lilies and lush green plants. — UserDeleted / Reddit.com

16. Albert Einstein Teaching at Lincoln, the First Historical Black University in the U.S. (1946)

A group of young Black men in suits sit attentively in a classroom as Albert Einstein, standing by a chalkboard, teaches and gestures while speaking. The room has wooden floors and framed photos on the wall. — veggytheropoda / Reddit.com

Looking for more colorized photos?

A group of boys and young men gather around a vintage car with a broken front wheel on a city street in front of a large building. The scene appears to be from the early 20th century. — skatterbug/Reddit.com

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