Vintage Photos

20 Colorized Vintage Photos From The Late 1940s

Published

•

By  

Like what we have to say? Add thescroller.net as a preferred source on Google

A young man with a white shirt and pendant stands beside a bicycle on a wet city street, with children and adults gathered in the background near a brick building.
Via AnonymousVintage10

The late 1940s were a true turning point in world history. These were the years that were filled with their quiet triumphs as well as everyday routines, and an overriding sense of relief. This collection of 20 colorized photos can serve as a time capsule to transport you back in time to that point in history so that it feels visceral and almost familiar.

1. Teenagers socializing and dancing at a party in 1947

A group of young adults in vintage attire dance and sit around a table with snacks and sodas in a warmly lit, wood-paneled room, creating a lively, nostalgic atmosphere.
axon350/via reddit.com

2. A boy poses with a Boston Terrier in 1947

A smiling boy in a red shirt hugs a black and white dog on a table outside. Other children and adults, some holding dogs, stand and talk in the background near brick buildings.
bwborder/via reddit.com

3. The 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers

Four Brooklyn Dodgers baseball players in uniform sit side by side on a bench in a dugout, smiling and posing for the photo.
thebluegoo/via reddit.com

4. Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein in 1947

Two men sit at a desk by a window; one, with white hair and a mustache, writes on papers while the other, with dark hair, leans in closely and watches attentively.
deleted/via reddit.com

5. Four contestants of the Hollywood Slick Chick Beauty Contest in Anaheim, California, 1947

Four women in costumes pose outdoors; one is dressed as a Native American with a bow, another as a princess, and two as witches, one holding a broom and the other a wand. They are smiling and standing under an archway.
genes918/via reddit.com

Trending on The Scroller

6. A diesel-powered locomotive falling off the track at Los Angeles California’s Union Station

A red and silver train hangs precariously over the edge of a tall concrete wall, with people observing from above and below. A leaning utility pole and a vintage car are visible near the wall's base.
morganmonroe81/via reddit.com

7. Vancouver all the way back in 1948

Two people stand outside a vintage café with a neon sign reading "CASA LOMA." A classic car and a bicycle are parked out front. The scene has an old-fashioned, nostalgic atmosphere, suggesting a mid-20th-century setting.
newsgif/via reddit.com

8. Now that’s a fun way to colorize a nostalgic shot

A man in a suit kneels on grass, smiling and holding hands with three young girls in colorful dresses—green, pink, and yellow—in a garden with flowers and a house in the background.
dapascha/via reddit.com

9. Cuban fruit sellers along Malecon Sea Drive in Havana in 1949

Two men stand by a colorful fruit cart decorated with palm leaves, displaying watermelons, pineapples, bananas, and other produce by a roadside under a clear sky.
coloryourpost/via reddit.com

10. Billie Holiday and her dog Mister in 1947

A person in a formal dark gown with white floral hair accessories sits against a wall, holding a brown dog with a studded collar on their lap. The setting appears to be an urban, dimly lit hallway or stairwell.
euanmitch/via reddit.com

11. A newsboy in Utica, New York

A young boy with light skin, wearing a black flat cap, green turtleneck sweater, and dark coat stands outside in falling snow, looking at the camera with a faint smile. The background is blurred.
morganmonroe81/via reddit.com

12. She’s fully focused in, 1948

A woman in a white uniform and headscarf fills metal tins with cocoa powder at a production line. She holds a tin labeled "Droste Cacao" while other tins are arranged in rows on the work surface.
murpnl/via reddit.com

13. Waiting for a parade to start up out in Ann Arbor in August 1948

A group of young children in colorful 1950s clothing sit and crouch on a curb by a tree, watching a boy walking in front of them on a sunny day in a suburban neighborhood with cars in the background.
linglingr/via reddit.com

14. Someone’s mother as a student in Boston in 1949

A woman in a beige coat, blue gloves, and a dark hat stands in front of a vintage navy blue car. She has a red flower pinned to her coat and is smiling slightly, with buildings visible in the background.
ickytimes/via reddit.com

15. Rockefeller Plaza in New York in 1949

People ice skating at Rockefeller Center rink in New York City, surrounded by holiday decorations and a large Christmas tree, with golden statue and buildings in the background. Spectators watch from the sides.
anamarcorporate/via reddit.com

16. The “Windjammer” photographed in 1949

A large, vintage sailing ship with multiple masts and many white sails fully unfurled is sailing on the open sea under a clear sky. The ship’s hull is red and black.
redshiftcolor/via reddit.com

17. Someone’s grandparents photo from 1949

Two people dressed in vintage suits stand side by side in front of a stone arched doorway. The left half of the image is in sepia tones, while the right half is colorized, showing the woman’s suit in teal and the man’s in grey.
rokatimes/via reddit.com

18. Harlem, New York, 1949

A young man in a white shirt and brown pants stands holding a bicycle on a city street, with a group of people and apartment buildings in the background.
Screenshot

19. A boy and his dog in New York, 1949

A young boy sits on a step holding a report card, resting his chin on his hand, while a dog nuzzles his ear. The left half of the image is in black and white, and the right half is colorized.
ducksaber/via reddit.com

20. B-29 formation over Mt. McKinley

A formation of military aircraft flies in the sky above a snow-covered mountain range under a clear, deep blue sky.
henryrodenberg/via reddit.com

Explore more vintage content:

These colorized glimpses of the late 1940s offer a vivid reminder of a world in transition, where resilience met renewal in everyday life. If you enjoyed this look back, explore 20 Colorized Photos From The Early 1950s for a follow-up on the postwar era, or rewind further with 25 Colorized Photos From The Mid-1890s to see how far the world had come.

Tags:

,

Meet the Writer


Matt Staff

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.



More Posts From Vintage PhotosView All