Vintage Photos

18 Colorized Photos of the Mid to Late 1940s

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Left: A soldier in uniform stands in a church, facing a stained glass window. Right: A woman in a red swimsuit, sailor hat, and waders smiles while holding a fishing rod on a beach.
Via Anonymous1993

Victory parades were hardly over when everyday life had just rushed back in, and nowhere is that urgent hope more glaringly vivid than in this collection of freshly colorized snapshots from the mid to the late 1940s. Each of these photos can trace the decade’s rapid pivot from ration books and also rubble right into swing-era dance halls.

1. She’s got the baguette to end all baguettes

A woman in a checkered dress and stained apron walks down a city street carrying a large baguette and a crate with bottles, with vintage cars and buildings in the background.
emilwailner/via reddit.com

2. The grandparents’ wedding way back in the day, Italy, 1945

A vintage photo of a bride and groom poses together. The groom wears a black suit and tie; the bride wears a white dress and holds a bouquet of white flowers. They stand in front of a simple, dark curtain backdrop.
neuro945594/via reddit.com

3. An American soldier inside of a church somewhere in Europe, circa 1945

A soldier in uniform and helmet stands inside a church, facing a statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Sunlight streams through a colorful stained glass window next to the statue.
fratuzzi/via reddit.com

4. Young Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle

A young woman with short, dark curly hair, wearing a floral-patterned top and a pearl necklace, looks slightly past the camera. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting with light coming through a window.
memorylanepr/via reddit.com

5. Neighbors step outside one of the metal Quonset huts

A group of women and children gather outside a Quonset hut on grass, surrounded by toys, chairs, and a stroller, with another identical hut and metal barrels in the background under a clear sky.
rocketsontimesoftimes/via reddit.com

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6. Daughter of a miner holding her kitten

A young girl with blonde hair sits barefoot on a wooden chair in a cluttered room, gently holding a black kitten. She wears blue overalls and a yellow shirt. The room has worn furniture, dishes, and a cereal box on the table.
rockettimesoftimes/via reddit.com

7. Ava Gardner out and about fishing

A smiling woman in a red swimsuit, white sailor hat, and waders stands in shallow ocean water, holding a fishing rod with gentle waves and a blue sky in the background.
ennnisforwerk

8. A tattooed sailor, circa 1944, USS New Jersey

Two shirtless men sit closely together. One, wearing a sailor hat, looks down at his arm while the other man tattoos a design onto it. Both have visible tattoos on their arms.
flyingdutchman/via reddit.com

9. Rockaway Beach, NYC, 1946

A woman in a red halter dress laughs joyfully among a group of people outdoors. She has curly hair and wears a floral-patterned cover-up. The crowd behind her appears to be at a social gathering in sunny weather.
ectheow3/via reddit.com

10. A destroyed apartment serves as a balcony in the summertime

A person sits on a chair in a partially demolished building, surrounded by potted plants and furniture, with exposed brick walls and remnants of rooms visible.
angelinaretro/via reddit.com

11. Marines on patrol out in the mountains, circa 1946

Three soldiers in uniform walk down a dirt path surrounded by green vegetation, with palm trees and a distant mountain visible under a partly cloudy sky.
formerhouseofander/via reddit.com

12. A Spanish bullfighter back in 1946

A man in a dark suit, white shirt, and yellow tie sits in front of a stone wall, smiling at the camera. He has slicked-back dark hair and is sitting on a wooden chair.
ectheow3/via reddit.com

13. Father passes out when he meets his triplets for the first time, circa 1946

Three nurses hold newborn babies and smile, while a man in a suit appears to faint or swoon, supported by another man, possibly reacting to the sight of the babies through a hospital window.
genesis916/via reddit.com

14. Spring break in Southern California, 1947

Four young adults in vintage swimwear smile and pose outdoors on a sunny day, sitting casually on a white fence with blue sky and grassy scenery in the background.
ectheow3/via reddit.com

15. Woman in a polka dot dress, 1946

A woman in a blue polka dot dress walks down a city sidewalk, seen from behind. She has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a bracelet. Tall buildings and other pedestrians line the street.
brothercavador/via reddit.com

16. A mining town in Cullen Bullen near Lithgow, circa 1947

Three boys sit closely together, smiling and looking at a book or notebook on one boy’s lap. They appear engaged and happy, with one boy pointing at the page. The background is blurred but shows a blue wall.
imjustglasglow/via reddit.com

17. Baby racing, July 1946

Babies wearing diapers crawl on a wooden floor in a race, heading toward a row of colorful stuffed animals lined up on a platform at the finish line. Signs are pinned to some of the babies' diapers.
quickshifter87/via reddit.com

18. Don Nicol at the Theatre Royal, 1946

Six women in matching light blue stage costumes smile around a man who is writing "Bonz By Bonz" in lipstick on a dressing room mirror. The room is brightly lit and decorated with floral curtains.
salciathetheow/via reddit.com

Explore more vintage content:

These chromatic time capsules prove that full-spectrum color can make even a ration-scarred decade feel startlingly immediate. Rewind the reel with our 20 Colorized Photos From The Early 1940s to watch wartime grit give way to victory euphoria, then drop further back into hard-won smiles inside 25 Vintage Photos of the Early to Mid-1930s.

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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.



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