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20 Colorized Photos From The Mid-1880s

Vintage Photos History Nostalgia June 8, 2025

These 20 colorized photos can dial up the saturation on the years dating back to the mid-1880s. To say that the times were different back then is an understatement. So, let the vivid clarity provided by way of colorization serve to transport you back in time to relive some moments from the past.

1. Woman in 1885 Rio de Janeiro

A woman with dark skin wears a lace blouse, a blue skirt, gold jewelry, and a blue and white headscarf. She sits by a wooden table, resting her face on her hand, looking thoughtfully at the camera.
martlas

2. Taken in Russia in the mid-1880s

A woman and a child wearing traditional, ornate clothing stand outside a rustic wooden building with a thatched roof, in a snowy setting. The woman holds the child's arm as they both face the camera.
anemesis

3. Theodore Roosevelt, circa 1885

A man in fringed buckskin clothing and fur hat sits outdoors holding a rifle across his lap, with a knife tucked into his belt and trees in the background.
xanderlionheart

4. Johannes Brahms, circa 1885

Side-by-side portraits of a man with a full beard and mustache, wearing a dark jacket and white shirt. The left image is sepia-toned; the right image is colorized, showing grey hair and a blue jacket.
scrabblinfanatic

5. Army Chaplain of the Kingdom of Serbia in the mid-1880s

A man with a full beard and mustache wears a dark robe and a tall black cylindrical hat, posing for a formal portrait against a plain blue background.
ferretnecessaire

6. Taken in the mid-1880s in Wales

A group of men, women, and children stand outside a vintage storefront with signs for a hairdressing salon, drinks, and groceries. The building is weathered with visible cracks above and below the windows.
anarmarcorporate

7. Prince George of Wales in the mid-1880s

A young man with neatly parted hair sits in profile, wearing a light-colored, formal suit and white shirt. He rests his arm on a dark velvet cushion against a plain background.
flexiceritusresx

8. Ulysses S. Grant writing his memories in the mid-1880s

An elderly man with a beard sits in a wicker chair on a porch, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a head covering. He is intently writing or drawing on a pad of paper resting on his lap.
xanderlionheart

9. Southern Swedish guy in front of a hut in the mid-1880s

Two people in traditional clothing stand outside a turf-covered Sami hut in a forested, mountainous landscape. Logs, branches, and a colorful door lean against the rustic dwelling.
marinamarl

10. Princess Isabel in the mid-1880s

A woman with curly light brown hair, wearing a high-necked dark dress with a large bow at the collar, sits with her hands folded and looks to the side against a plain, draped backdrop.
colorizingthepast

11. Dom Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, mid-1880s

A man with a thick, full gray beard and slicked-back hair wears a brown suit over a white shirt, posing against a plain dark blue background.
mestrodemar

12. Sitting Bull in the mid-1880s

A Native American man with long braided hair, wearing a light-colored, patterned shirt and two feathers in his hair, sits and looks directly at the camera against a neutral background.
silasdesasi

13. Albert Einstein as a boy back in the mid-1880s

A young boy with short dark hair, dressed in a vintage blue suit with a large red bow tie, stands beside a stone railing and holds a hat, with greenery blurred in the background.
memorylanepr

14. Wyatt Earp in Kansas in the mid-1880s

A sepia-toned portrait of a man in a suit, tie, and wide-brimmed hat is shown beside a colorized version of the same photograph. The man has a mustache and a serious expression.
jabbalechat

15. The American Cowboy in the mid-1880s

A cowboy wearing a hat, gloves, and chaps sits on a saddled horse in a grassy field, holding the reins. Trees and distant hills are visible in the background, with another horse grazing nearby.
deletd

16. Deacon McGuidre, Philadelphia baseball team back in the mid-1880s

A vintage baseball player stands on a dirt field, holding a baseball in one hand and wearing an old-fashioned uniform with a striped cap, knee-high socks, and gloves. Empty wooden bleachers are visible in the background.
deleted

17. Princesses Margarete and Sophia of Prussia, mid-1880s

Two young women in Victorian-era attire stand side by side, wearing matching grey jackets, white dresses, and tall brown hats adorned with feathers, posing in front of a painted studio backdrop.
valzaraova

18. A stunning photo of a teacher from back in the mid-1880s

A side-by-side comparison of a vintage photo: on the left, a black-and-white image of a young woman in a formal dress sitting beside antlers, holding a book; on the right, the same photo is colorized.
Screenshot

19. Bertha Benz driving the Benz Patent Motorwagen

A woman in a vintage dress and bonnet sits in an old-fashioned, three-wheeled car as two men in flat caps and suits push it along a cobblestone street near historic buildings.
mikezilla

20. Future Queen Sophia of the Hellenes, Greece, mid-1880s

A young woman in an off-the-shoulder white dress, wearing a pearl necklace and a white feathered hair accessory, gazes to the side against a soft, muted blue-gray background.
toxicstoblame

Explore more vintage content:

From pixel-lit arcades to power-shoulder boardrooms, these mid-’80s hues prove nostalgia can still spark like a New Coke sugar rush. Rewind a few years to the dawn of disco’s fade in 17 Colorized Photos from the Mid-1970s. Then, dive into 17 Vintage Photos of Swimming in New York City’s Outdoor Pools (1930-1960).

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