Black and white photos have a romanticized notion to them because we associate with an old distant pasted thats idealized in its nostalgia. Because the effect is so idealized its hard to relate to that time. It seems like fantasy to us. However with these color photos, it feels more real and immediate and I get more of a sense of being there then I would with black and white photos. Thats why these photos are cool, I never see color photos dating this far back in time.
These are amazing. I love the look of film photography. These particular examples are so rich and yet subdued at the same time with the soft focus. I also agree completely with Echo Park--color gives a much more poignant connection to what life was like for the subjects of these pictures. Thanks for sharing these here.
Another cool site to check out for vintage photos is shorpy.com. Their images are primarily black & white though, but they are taken from plate glass negatives which were primarily used by professional photographers back in the day...therefore the results are some incredibly detailed high resolution images that are sure to be of interest of anyone who frequents this site.
That "Times Square" pic near the top is apparently from early 1941. A film from Britain called "Night Train To Munich," starring Margaret Lockwood, premiered in the U.S. in the final days of 1940 -- and I'm guessing the longer marquee parallel to the street probably has its title in full.
Linear Mode
