Welcome to the fourth edition of the top 15 most popular colorized historical photos posted on the HistoryColored Instagram account! This is our yearly article that reveals which colorizations received the most likes throughout the year. Be sure to follow the links to the talented artists who spent many hours researching and colorizing the photographs featured in this list!
The cut-off for featuring in the top 15 was October 30th, 2024, and no posts from November and December will be included.
15. Colorization of people playfully posing for a photo, 1917
Colorization by @julius.colorization
Three people playfully posing for a photograph in front of Villa Solhem in Helsinki, Finland in 1917. The man to the right is Ragnar Nyberg whose family owned the villa.
Julius Backman Jääskeläinen starts off the list with his twelfth appearance on the “Top 15 Most Popular Colorized Photos” of the year series. This colorization was posted on July 8th, 2024 and received just over 25,000 likes, making it the 15th most popular post of the year on the HistoryColored Instagram.
Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook
14. Colorized Photo of Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin together, 1931
Colorization by @socolorization
Albert Einstein (left) and Charlie Chaplin (right) attend the premiere of Chaplin’s latest film “City Lights” in Los Angeles, United States on the 2 February 1931.
This colorization by Sefa Oruç was shared on the HistoryColored Instagram on September 10th, 2024, and received over 25,300 likes making it the 14th most popular post of the year!
Follow and see more colorizations from Sefa Oruç: Instagram, Reddit, Flickr
13. Colorization of a Navy seaman displaying his tattoos, 1943
Colorization by @colourisedpieceofjake
Leading seaman Eric Kirtland of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.C.N.V.R.) shows off his tattoos. Photograph taken in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada on the 10 January 1943.
After missing out in 2023, Jakob Lagerweij returns to the “Top 15 Most Popular Colorized Photos” of the year series with the 13th most liked post of the year! It was shared to the HistoryColored Instagram page on June 17th, 2024, and received 25,800 likes.
Follow and see more colorizations from Colourised Piece of Jake: Instagram, Facebook, X, Website
12. Colorization of a French soldier wearing a World War I gas mask, circa 1917
Colorization by @history_and_colorization
A French soldier of the 112th Artillery Regiment photographed during World War I (1914-1918) wearing a Tissot gas mask.
This piece by History and Colorization is the 12th most popular post shared on the HistoryColored Instagram, receiving over 26,400 likes since February 4th, 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from History and Colorization: Instagram, Facebook, X
11. Colorized Photograph of Nikola Tesla in his laboratory, circa 1899
Colorization by @color_byangelina
Nikola Tesla looking out from his laboratory in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States in 1899. The sign in front of the doorway reads “Great Danger, Keep Out”.
Appearing in 11th is colorization by Angelina Karpunina, which was shared on May 27th, 2024, and received over 27,000 likes. Angelina has had work appear in every edition of “Top 15 Most Popular Colorized Photos,” and this year is no different!
Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, X
10. Colorization of Four Generations of Royals, 1894
Colorization by @royaltyincolour
A baby Prince Edward (future King Edward VIII) is held by his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, while his grandmother Alexandra, Princess of Wales (standing right), and his mother, Mary, Duchess of York, stand behind. Photograph taken at White Lodge in Richmond, London, United Kingdom in 1894.
Royalty in Colour features for the first time with this piece, which was shared on the HistoryColored Instagram on New Year’s Day and received over 27,500 likes, making it the 10th most popular post shared in 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Royalty in Colour: Instagram
9. Colorized Portrait of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, 1961
Colorization by @socolorization
John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy photographed by Richard Avedon on the 3 January 1961, 17 days before JFK was sworn in as President of the United States.
Appearing for the second time on this list is Sefa Oruç with this colorization that received 28,900 likes since it was posted on February 6th, 2024. This makes this the 9th most popular post shared on this HistoryColored Instagram in 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Sefa Oruç: Instagram, Reddit, Flickr
8. Colorization of a British chaplain praying for a German medic during WWI, 1918
Colorization by @julius.colorization
A British Army chaplain saying a prayer over a dying German Army medic near Epehy, France on the 18 September 1918.
This piece, colorized by Julius Backman Jääskeläinen, was shared on HistoryColored on August 17th and received over 30,700 likes, making it the 8th most popular post of 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook
7. Colorized Photo of King George VI and his family, 1938
Colorization by @royaltyincolour
King George VI of the United Kingdom photographed with his wife Elizabeth, Queen Consort, and children Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret on board the HMY Victoria and Albert III in 1938.
Royalty in Colour appears for the second time in this list with the 7th most popular colorization, with this piece receiving over 31,700 likes since it was posted on June 22nd, 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Royalty in Colour: Instagram
6. Colorization of an escape from a Hellcat aircraft that crash landed, 1943
Colorized by @retrograde_colour
Lieutenant Walt Chewning Jr. climbs on the side of an F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft that has crash-landed on the USS Enterprise to assist the pilot’s escape from the plane that is on fire. The pilot managed to escape without significant injury. Photograph taken on the 10 November 1943.
This colorization by RETRO GRADE History in Colour is the 6th most popular post shared on the HistoryColored Instagram in 2024. This post received almost 34,000 likes since it was posted on March 19th.
Follow and see more colorizations from RETRO GRADE History in Colour: Instagram, Website
5. Colorized Photo of the results of an Ordnance Department body armor test, circa 1918
Colorization by @timcolorization
The result of the Ordnance Department body armor test that demonstrated the effect of pistol, rifle, and machine-gun fire on heavy body armor. Photograph taken at Fort de la Peigney in Langres, France, in c. 1918.
This photograph colorized by Timothée Moreau is the 5th most liked post on the HistoryColored Instagram page. The colorization received over 37,500 likes after it was posted on February 18th, 2024. This is Timothée’s second colorization to feature in the series following his appearance in 2023 with the 3rd most popular post.
Follow and see more colorizations from Timothée Moreau: Instagram, Behance
4. Colorization of Margaret Hamilton stood with the Apollo guidance software, 1969
Colorization by @color_byangelina
Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton photographed in 1969 standing next to the Apollo guidance software that she and her MIT team produced that sent humans to the moon. Hamilton led the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which in 1961 contracted with NASA to develop the Apollo program’s guidance system.
Featuring for the second time in this list is Angelina Karpunina, with a colorized photo shared on January 12th that received over 40,000 likes, making it the 4th most-liked post on the HistoryColored page in 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, X
3. Colorized Photograph of Charles Clyde Ebbets balanced on a beam above NYC, 1932
Colorization by @color_byangelina
Charles Clyde Ebbets, the photographer generally credited with taking the famous “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” image, positioned on a beam taking a photograph in New York City in 1932 during the construction of the RCA Building. Ebetts was the photographic director for the Rockefeller Center’s development, and while he is generally credited with taking the Lunch atop a Skyscraper photograph, there is some uncertainty as other photographers were present during the shoot.
Taking the 3rd spot is another piece by Angelina Karpunina, that received over 41,000 likes since it was first shared on April 29th, 2024. This is the second time a colorization by Angelina has featured in 3rd place, having also had that position in the 2022 edition!
Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, X
2. Colorization of Two girls racing sheep, 1969
Colorization by @pearcolours
Two girls racing sheep on a farm in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, in 1969. Photograph taken by John Drysdale
The 2nd most popular post shared on the HistoryColored Instagram in 2024 was colorized by Pear Colours and received over 51,000 likes since it was first shared on January 3rd. This is Pear Colour’s first-ever appearance in the “Top 15 Most Popular Colorized Photos of the Year” series.
Follow and see more colorizations from Pear Colours: Instagram, YouTube, X, Website
1. Nicholas II of the Russian Empire and his son, 1907
Colorization by @royaltyincolour
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his only son, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, pose for a photograph in 1907.
Taking the top spot in 2024 is a colorization by Royalty in Colour who has appeared more times on this list than any other artist! This piece received 55,000 likes since it was posted on January 18th making it the most popular post shared on the HistoryColored Instagram page in 2024.
Follow and see more colorizations from Royalty in Colour: Instagram
Featured image by RETRO GRADE History in Colour
Be sure to follow all of the colorizers featured in this list!
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