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The Forgotten Art of Hand-Tinted Photography
The Forgotten Art of Hand-Tinted Photography
The golden age of hand-colored photography occurred between 1900 and 1940. Before the days of true color photography, these views were immensely popular. While hand coloring doesn’t help you identify or date an image, it does enhance a photograph’s appearance and add to its history.
The golden age of hand-colored photography occurred between 1900 and 1940. Before the days of true color photography, these views were immensely popular. While hand coloring doesn’t help you identify or date an image, it does enhance a photograph’s appearance and add to its history.
Before color film was an option, photographers painstakingly applied color to black and white photos in order to show a truer visual depiction of a photo image. All of the photographs featured here were taken by Lewis Reed in the early 1900s and were hand-tinted by his daughter, Mary Jane, likely in the late 1930s to 1940. She colored the developed images with special photographic watercolor and a paintbrush. Rather than coloring the entire image—a time- consuming task—she carefully selected details that would make the image lively and attractive. The fact that these photos, all of which are over 100 years old, are still in relatively good condition is a strong testament to the lasting power of hand-tinted photographs.
Before color film was an option, photographers painstakingly applied color to black and white photos in order to show a truer visual depiction of a photo image. All of the photographs featured here were taken by Lewis Reed in the early 1900s and were hand-tinted by his daughter, Mary Jane, likely in the late 1930s to 1940. She colored the developed images with special photographic watercolor and a paintbrush. Rather than coloring the entire image—a time- consuming task—she carefully selected details that would make the image lively and attractive. The fact that these photos, all of which are over 100 years old, are still in relatively good condition is a strong testament to the lasting power of hand-tinted photographs.
Below, Lewis Reed's c. 1909 photograph of his little cousin, Amanda Reed, sitting amongst the hydrangeas-- the original before, and the colorized version after.
Below, Lewis Reed's c. 1909 photograph of his little cousin, Amanda Reed, sitting amongst the hydrangeas-- the original before, and the colorized version after.
Before
Before
After
After
Below are two different versions of tinting a similar image. In Version 2, some of the flowers at the top were removed from the vase (by Lewis Reed, before taking a second shot) for a different aesthetic effect. The color artist used bolder colors to enhance that effect.
Below are two different versions of tinting a similar image. In Version 2, some of the flowers at the top were removed from the vase (by Lewis Reed, before taking a second shot) for a different aesthetic effect. The color artist used bolder colors to enhance that effect.
Original
Original
Version 1
Version 1
Version 2
Version 2
To a visual artist like a dedicated photographer, the inability of the black-and-white camera to capture the richness of colorful blooms or the vibrance of a summer scene must have been endlessly frustrating.
To a visual artist like a dedicated photographer, the inability of the black-and-white camera to capture the richness of colorful blooms or the vibrance of a summer scene must have been endlessly frustrating.
Lewis Reed's daughter Mary Jane seemed particularly fond of hand-tinting photographs of flowers--it must have given her a lot of pleasure to "restore" color to her father's beautifully composed shots. View some more of her work below.
Lewis Reed's daughter Mary Jane seemed particularly fond of hand-tinting photographs of flowers--it must have given her a lot of pleasure to "restore" color to her father's beautifully composed shots. View some more of her work below.
To make the blooms appear more striking, Mary Jane left the leaves alone in their original greyish tones.
Do you recognize this road pictured below? Few modern residents of Montgomery County would guess, but this is a shot down Veirs Mill Road in the early 1900s. Mary Jane Reed added some depth to the image with subtle earth tones, in the colorized version on the right.
Do you recognize this road pictured below? Few modern residents of Montgomery County would guess, but this is a shot down Veirs Mill Road in the early 1900s. Mary Jane Reed added some depth to the image with subtle earth tones, in the colorized version on the right.
Scenes from Black Rock Mill
Scenes from Black Rock Mill
These natural scenes from the turn of the century countryside are so much more powerful when reunited with interpretations of their vibrant color.
These natural scenes from the turn of the century countryside are so much more powerful when reunited with interpretations of their vibrant color.
The autumn hues imagined in the scene to the right are particularly striking, and the bark peeling off the sycamore is an artistic masterpiece.
The autumn hues imagined in the scene to the right are particularly striking, and the bark peeling off the sycamore is an artistic masterpiece.
Strolling down a lane on a beautiful summer's day
Re-touched Photographs
Re-touched Photographs
The photographs below were also retouched by hand, but not using color. Lewis Reed himself drew on the glass negative, using a hard graphite pencil, to create the illusion of a couple gazing out on a mountain range, which was not part of the original photograph. This required a degree of artistic skill and access to a darkroom. Lewis Reed developed his own photographs in a darkroom in his house and worked at night to develop the negatives.
The photographs below were also retouched by hand, but not using color. Lewis Reed himself drew on the glass negative, using a hard graphite pencil, to create the illusion of a couple gazing out on a mountain range, which was not part of the original photograph. This required a degree of artistic skill and access to a darkroom. Lewis Reed developed his own photographs in a darkroom in his house and worked at night to develop the negatives.
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