14 Famous American Black And White Photos That Come To Life When Colourised
The miniseries "America in Colour" looks back at famous photos from the 1920s through 1960s, with each episode dedicated to a different decade.
The miniseries America in Colour looks back at classic photos from the 1920s through 1960s, with each episode dedicated to a different decade.
The Chrysler Building gets its eagles at the 61st floor
The Art Deco skyscraper was the first manmade structure taller than 1,000 feet. It was completed in 1930.
Texas Guinan dances at the 300 Club
A legendary party girl, Mary Louise Cecilia "Texas" Guinan ran one of the most famous speakeasies in New York City. She was arrested several times for her troubles.
Amelia Earhart sets off for her final flight.
Earhart's longtime photographer, Al Bresnik, snapped this photo at the Burbank Airport on June 1st, 1937.
A black porter works in a Pullman car
Pullman train cars were one of the few places where an African-American man could find work following the great depression. The line of work is credited by some for creating the black middle class in America.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters celebrates their 11th anniversary in 1936
This union was the first African-American labour organisation to receive national recognition. Its founders went on to become leaders of the Civil Rights movement.
The Golden Gate bridge opens
The first vehicles drove across the world's longest suspension bridge on May 28, 1937.
World War II ends
American sailors celebrate in the streets in 1945.
Rosa Parks is finger-printed
She was arrested after refusing to give up her bus seat on December 1, 1955
Rosa Parks sits for her mug shot
Her arrest led to the announcement of the Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted for over a year
Governor Orval Faubus fights desegregation of schools.
He defied the Supreme Court when he ordered the Arkansas National Guardsman to block black students from entering Little Rock Central High School
The Little Rock Nine pose for a portrait
The students found themselves at the centre of a cultural crisis when they tried to enroll in a previously all-white high school.
A mob lies in wait for Freedom Riders in Alabama
When some southern cities refused to comply with Supreme Court decisions desegregating public buses, activists rode on interstate buses—and were met with firebombs and slashed tires from waiting members of the KKK
Martin Luther King, Jr. sits in an Alabama jail cell
He was already a nationally famous activist when a judge upheld the ruling (and sentence) of his 1963 arrest for protesting without permits in Birmingham, requiring him to serve three more days
Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated
Witnesses pointed toward the shooter from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphise
Kaitlin Menza is a freelance features writer. She lives in New York. You can see more of her writing at kaitlinmenza.com.
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