Vintage Photos

19 Colorized Photos Of The 1960s

Published

•

By  

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hovers above water as a rescuer lowers a basket to lift a person to safety. The landscape is flat with patches of grass and water.
Via Anonymoustimes99

The 1960s were a transformational decade, entrenched in rebellion as well as cultural revolution. It was an era that would ultimately shape the world as we know it today, in both bold and lasting ways. This collection of 19 colorized photos offers a powerful, nostalgic lens right into the heart of one of history’s most memorable decades.

1. A 1964 Alpine Rally

A red vintage rally car with the number 5 on its side speeds around a dirt road curve, kicking up dust, surrounded by pine trees and mountains in the background.
angelina_retro/via reddit.com

2. Karl and his Kodak Motormatic, 1964

A skydiver in a helmet and goggles is freefalling above patchwork fields, pointing a camera towards the viewer while wearing a jumpsuit and gear, with farmland and roads visible far below.
chickentorch/via reddit.com

3. Taco vendor in Tijuana, 1964

A man in a white hat sits at a food cart under a glowing lamp, reading a newspaper at night. Behind him, neon signs for "Liquors" and "San Val" light up the street as people walk by.
ectheow3/via reddit.com

4. A photo of someone’s grandfather in the sixties

independent-fuel-183/via reddit.com

5. December 27th, 1961, Tallahassee, Florida

A person in a dark coat holds an umbrella while walking alone on a rainy city sidewalk. The surroundings are wet, and some people, cars, and trees are visible in the blurred background.
morganmonroe81/via reddit.com

Trending on The Scroller

6. Third graders in Budapest in 1961

A vintage group photo of school children and three teachers sitting and standing outdoors. The boys wear scout uniforms with blue neckerchiefs, while the teachers wear dresses and cardigans, posed in front of a brick wall.
brothercavador/via reddit.com

7. A 20-year-old Stephen Hawking in 1962

A man in a blue suit with a white shirt and red polka dot tie sits indoors in front of a window with white curtains, with flower arrangements and mint green walls in the background. He wears dark-rimmed glasses and has neat dark hair.
deleted/via reddit.com

8. An accident in Rotterdam in 1961

A crowd gathers around a yellow car and a green van after a traffic accident on a city street, while a truck marked “Holland” passes by in the background. Several people observe, and police appear to assist.
oldies45/via reddit.com

9. A woman by the Goodyear illuminated tires, 1960s

A woman in a dark outfit leans against a yellow vintage car at night, with city lights and buildings blurred in the background.
genesis16/via reddit.com

10. The Columbus, Georgia, Holiday Inn, circa 1961

A retro Holiday Inn motel with a large neon sign, classic cars parked outside, and a restaurant in the background, all set under a partly cloudy sky.
morganmonroe81/via reddit.com

11. Greeneville, North Carolina, 1961

A busy mid-20th-century city street with vintage cars, pedestrians crossing, and signs for shops including Biggs Drug Store. A US Coast Guard recruitment poster featuring a uniformed man is displayed on the sidewalk.
therectangle/via reddit.com

12. Football training in Belgium in 1965

Five men in red shirts and shorts lie on grass doing leg lifts with arms raised, while another man stands nearby, appearing to instruct them. They are on a sports field with trees and buildings in the background.
lloppqlll/via reddit.com

13. Sutton Station in 1965

A busy street scene outside Sutton Station with vintage cars parked and people walking near shops and a building labeled "The Old Bank" under a partly cloudy sky.
mrdogface12/via reddit.com

14. Indianapolis, 1965

A man in sunglasses with a cigarette holds a paper bag and a woman's hand. The woman wears cat-eye shades and holds a Coke bottle. They walk on a sunny sidewalk past a blue mailbox and brick wall.
ectheow3/via reddit.com

15. Children jumping rope in Iowa in 1965

Four young girls play jump rope outside on a dirt path in front of colorful houses. Two girls jump together, smiling, while one girl spins the rope and another stands watching. The scene appears to be from the mid-20th century.
anonymous77/via reddit.com

16. Now that’s a stud of a plane if I’ve ever seen one

A white British military jet with distinctive angular wings and twin engines takes off, wheels still extended, against a blue sky with scattered clouds. RAF roundels are visible on the fuselage and tail.
anonymous77/via reddit.com

17. A Coast Guard helicopter in the middle of an intense rescue mission

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter hovers above a flooded house surrounded by water and marshland, with one rescuer being lowered towards the roof of the damaged structure.
galaxyalpha/via reddit.com

18. This shot was captured on Easter morning back in the 1960s

Two women stand beside an old white station wagon; one is bending to get into the back seat while the other stands nearby. The scene is outdoors, near houses, on a sunny day.
deleted129/via reddit.com

19. France Gall in 1965

A young woman wearing a sailor hat and a “FRANCE GALL” t-shirt salutes while standing on a boat, with a waterfront city and buildings visible in the background.
darktimes/via reddit.com

Explore more vintage content:

The 1960s were a decade of radical change, bold style, and unforgettable cultural milestones—and these colorized photos bring that transformative era vividly back to life. If you’re fascinated by how this era reshaped fashion, music, and politics, don’t miss 35 Vintage Photos Of The Early 1960s for even more perspective. You can also explore how family life looked back then with 20 Family Photos from the 1960s That Capture the True Spirit of the ’60s.

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