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20 Colorized Photos Of The Late 1860s

Vintage Photos History Nostalgia June 4, 2025

The Reconstruction-era America was a true, visceral canvas filled with its stark contrasts. It had its share of utterly ruined battlefields alongside sprawling reborn main streets. This collection of 20 colorized photos aims to breathe newfound, vivid life into the bygone era of the late 1860s. Let it transport you back in time and enjoy the ride.

1. Charles Dickens, circa 1867

An older man with a bushy mustache and long, graying beard, wearing a formal dark coat and white shirt, and looking directly at the camera. His hair is curly and receding at the sides.
pejae

2. A striking expression here, 1867

A young person with long, wavy brown hair and a serious expression, dressed in a plaid outfit with decorative buttons, rests their head on one hand while leaning on a small table or stool.
anonymous

3. Victorian tourists climbing the pyramids, 1867

A group of people in traditional clothing climb and sit on large stone blocks of a stepped ancient pyramid, engaging with each other near the base and along its sides.
anemnesis

4. Waipi’o Valley, Hawaii, 1867

A thatched stone hut stands in front of a towering, steep cliff covered in greenery, with a rocky shoreline and a pale sky in the background.
manicottishkindneat

5. A group of Sami fishermen and women, 1867

A group of people wearing traditional fur and wool clothing stand in a line outdoors near a shoreline. Several women wear colorful headdresses, and two men in the center are dressed in heavy fur coats. The background shows water and sky.
pisomby

6. Sir John Herschel, English mathematician, astronomer, chemist, 1867

An elderly person with wild white hair, wearing dark clothing and a cap, looks pensively to the side against a dark background. Their face is lined with age and highlighted by natural light.
allfaf

7. Chaldean man in traditional Turkish costume late 1860s

A man in traditional Middle Eastern attire with a large turban, layered robes, and baggy pants stands holding a long rifle, with a scenic backdrop featuring plants and rocky ground.
vector_scope

8. Charles Darwin as seen in his later years, 1869

An elderly man with a long white beard and balding head, wearing a dark coat, sitting and looking slightly to the side against a dark background.
inwise

9. Hong Kong painter, 1869

A person with long braided hair, dressed in a blue robe, sits at a wooden desk painting a portrait. Three paintings, including a ship and two portraits, hang on the wall behind them.
ickytimes

10. Hans Christian Andersen, 1869

A man with curly brown hair in a formal dark suit, white shirt, and bow tie sits in profile against a plain background, looking thoughtful.
xander_lionheart

11. “The Lady of the Lake”, 1869

A woman with long, wavy reddish-brown hair draped in a white shawl, looking downward. Green leaves and small white flowers are pinned to her shawl. The background is a muted dark color.
jabbalechat

12. Cantonese woman with jade earring, 1869

An elderly woman with grey hair tied in a bun stands in profile, wearing a purple garment and green earrings, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin against a plain background.
deleted

13. East Point, Hong Kong, 1868

A large, white building sits on a hill surrounded by trees, overlooking a circular garden with flower beds and paths in the foreground. A red car is parked on the left side of the garden.
aomkw

14. Two gentlemen admire the statue of Edmund Burke, 1868

A bronze statue labeled "BURKE" stands on a stone pedestal outside a grand building with tall windows. Two men in top hats and coats sit on a bench nearby, engaged in conversation.
marimari

15. Fanny and Stella, 1868

Two people in Victorian-era dresses, one in purple and the other in pink, stand closely together, embracing in front of a plain backdrop with red curtains.
shadow596

16. Taken in Argentina, circa 1868

A bearded man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, striped shirt, patterned scarf, and a colorful traditional poncho stands against a brown background, holding a knife tucked into a striped sash around his waist.
foldweg

17. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, circa 1889

A colorized portrait of an older man with light skin, blue eyes, and neatly combed gray hair and beard, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, set against a plain background.
morganmonroe81

18. Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, 1869

A calm lake surrounded by green hills and mountains under a cloudy sky, with a small island and building in the water and winding paths in the foreground.
ickytimes

19. American poet and essayist, Walt Whitman, late 1860s

A bearded older man with wavy gray hair and a mustache looks to the side. He is wearing a white shirt and has a thoughtful expression. The background is plain and softly colored.
thethornycoconut

20. A group of local Sámi people in Nesseby, in the Arctic region of Norway

A large group of Sámi people, dressed in traditional fur and wool clothing, pose for a historic black-and-white photo near wooden buildings and a green door. Most are seated, with a few standing in the back.
pisomby

Explore more vintage content:

These restored images prove that even in the wake of war, color and optimism rushed back into everyday life. If you’d like to see where the story began, step into 25 Vintage Photos Of The Mid-1850s
and witness the first sparks of modernity. Then fast-forward to the boom years in 35 Vintage Photos Of The Mid-1870s.

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