The late 1940s were a time of rebuilding and cautious optimism after the end of World War II. Cities were growing, families were settling back into normal routines, and new trends were beginning to take shape. Photos from this era were taken in black and white, but adding color to them makes them feel much more familiar.
Through colorization, these images get a whole new identity. The added color helps reveal details that might otherwise be overlooked and allows us to experience the past in a more personal way. These photos offer a fresh look at the people, places, and everyday scenes that defined the late 1940s. Let’s dive into 20 colorized photos from the late ’40s.
1. Getting together at Gottlieb’s Jazz Club, 1947
2. Explorer Peter Freuchen with his wife Dagmar, New York City, 1947
3. Marilyn Monroe, babysitting for a studio co-worker, 1947
4. Riding through Harlem in style, 1947
5. This photo was taken by a WWII photographer following the war
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6. A taxi driver in Manhattan fixing a tire on the job, 1947
7. Gathering for their grandfather’s 60th birthday, 1947
8. Norma Richter, showing off a dress especially made to demonstrate new photographic fabrics
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9. Night fishing in Hawaii, 1948
10. Showing off a new style of swimwear, 1948
11. 52nd Street in New York, 1948
12. Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Richard Rodgers at the Downbeat Club in New York City, 1948
13. Julie London, 1948
14. The birthplace of the Paralympic Games, July 29th, 1948
15. The Pamir, 1949
“The Pamir was a German four-masted barque built in 1905; the last ship to make trading voyages around Cape Horn; one of the last two sailing ships in regular commercial service; On September 21, 1957, she was caught in Hurricane Curry and sank off the Azores.”
16. Jerry Lewis breaking it down at the Copacabana in New York City, 1949
17. Pablo Picasso standing in front of his paintings, 1949
18. Knitting at the newspaper stand, 1949
19. She approves of the brand new Nash Ambassador, 1949
20. A day on the boardwalk at Coney Island, 1949
Want to see more colorized photos?
Check out 30 Colorized Photos From The Early ’30s, or take a look at 22 Colorized Photos That Open A Window Into 1922. Finally, if you want to see colorized photos from 100 years ago, check out 20 Colorized Photos That Make 100 Years Ago Feel Like Yesterday.
