A journey through time: Colorized photos of the US in the 1940s
From World War II to the beginning of the Cold War, the 1940s was a period of change and transformation in the United States. While many of us have only seen this era through the lens of black-and-white photographs, technology now allows us to see these moments in a whole new light.
Through the process of colorization, we can now experience the 1940s in a previously impossible way. From coast to coast, we’ll see the people, places, and events that defined the 1940s and shaped our nation in a nostalgic and awe-inspiring way.
5th Avenue at 42nd Street, New York City, 1946. Photo by Todd Webb.
Times Square in New York City, 1942. Photo by Tom Fitzsimmons.
Chicago, Illinois, 1947. Photo by Bill Strum in 1947.
People’s Drug Store on G Street, New York City, 1942. Photo by Marjory Collins. Color
Young boys standing in front of a pool hall in Roscoe, South Dakota, 1942. Photo by John Vachon.
Woman and her dog in Harlem, New York City, May 1943. Photo by Gordon Parks.
Children play in the street on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, 1941. Photo by Russell Lee.
Information booth and escalators at the Pennsylvania railroad station, New York City, 1942. Photo by Marjory Collins.
State Street, Chicago, Illinois, July 1940. Photo by John Vachon.
Finnish construction workers take a break because of the heavy rains, Flordia, 1940. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott.
Fish store, New York City, 1942. Photo by Marjory Collins.
Shoppers at F and 7th Streets, Washington DC, 1942. Photo by John Ferrell.
View of Main Street, Fort Worth, Texas, January 1942. Photo by Arthur Rothstein
Sunbathers at the swimming pool, Greenbelt, Maryland, June 1942. Photo by Marjory Collins.
At the beach, Corpus Christi, Texas, June 1943. Photo by John Vachon.
Oakland, California, April 1942. Photo by Russell Lee.
Downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, 1941. Photo by Jack Delano.
