There is a certain breed of Photoshop artist with a passion for history and a keen eye for detail who take it upon themselves to breathe new life into important historic photos.
When you have an idea of the level of effort that goes into these colourisations, you can’t help but be impressed. Hours of painstaking effort, tiny mouse strokes and detailed analysis go into every photo.
The result is an impressive and sometimes moving transformation of a photo which might otherwise have spent decades only being seen in black and white.
We’ve hunted down some of the best examples of colourised photos to have graced the internet. Some of the photos here date back well over a century and give us a new view of a bygone era.
The Queen’s Coronation
05 June 2025 marked the date of the Coronation of Elizabeth II, the Queen of England.
All around the country on that day people threw parties to celebrate. Plenty of black and white photos were taken at the time, now people are usingMyHeritage’s free photo toolsto colourise and enhance those photos. Like this one of Paula Glazebrook’s family taken in St. Mary’s Road, Edmonton, North London during the celebrations.
Two legends of history from very different worlds often crossed paths and apparently had aprofound impact on one another. This brilliant colourisation shows the two great men in all their glory.
Two German soldiers and their donkey 1915
Animals played a big part during the war. Carrying wounded soldiers, munitions and weaponry as well as helping clear the land. Donkeys, mules, dogs and more all helped out during the horrors.
Here, German soldiers can be seen with their donkey, all prepared for the danger with gas masks for each.
Roza Shanina, Russian sniper
Roza Georgiyevna Shanina was a Russian sniper during World War II. She was one of many women in the Russian military at the time, but she was also incredibly special. She was a volunteer and an astounding marksman. Roza Shanina had 59 confirmed kills by the end of the war but was tragically killed herself by artillery fire during the East Prussian Offensive in 1945. Her memory is honoured by this brilliant colourisation byMarina Amaral.
Princess Elizabeth, 1940
Before she became the reigning Monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth was once a Princess and a teenager. Here, she’s photographed reading a book in a beautiful day-off frock sitting casually in front of a window. The colourisation of this image by Marina Amaral brings an incredible modern reality to an old photo of the Royal. The attention to detail is astounding.
German soldier in a dugout
During the Great War, a German soldier is captured on film ready for battle. A fearsome sight, somehow, even more, intimidating in colour.
Royal Marine Commandos, 1944
Fully kitted-out Commandos disembark from landing craft on the landing beaches of France on D-Day, 1944. The distinctive green berets worn with pride and dedication as the men trudge forward towards the liberation of Europe.
National Rice Festival 1938
Some of the photos on our list feature obscure events and locations from history, but the addition of colour adds a new life to otherwise seemingly insignificant moments in time.
Here a lone man cooks at the National Rice Festival 1938. The bright colours and contrast of the adverts surrounding him suddenly paint an entirely new picture.
