Top 15 Most Popular History Colorized Photos of 2021

Colorized Photos from history are shared on the HistoryColored Instagram account on a daily basis and over the course of the year, these historical photographs receive tens of millions of likes combined. In the lead-up to 2022, on Instagram, we shared the 15 most-liked posts of 2021. We thought it would be a great idea to structure and share this list on the website so that we can keep track of the yearly most-liked history colorized photos on the page for many years to come! Please enjoy the photos below and be sure to follow the talented artists that spent many hours creating these colorizations.

15. Colorized Photo of Dutch resistance fighters, 1944

Colorized by @colourisedpieceofjake

Dutch resistance fighters photographed celebrating the liberation of the city of Breda, the Netherlands, by the Polish 1st Armored Division on the 29th of October 1944.

This colorization of Dutch resistance fighters that was created by Colourised Piece of Jake was shared on the HistoryColored page on January 28th, 2021, and received 36 thousand likes throughout the year.⁠

Follow and see more colorizations from Colourised Piece of Jake: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

14. Colorization of the interior of a commercial plane, 1936

Colorized by @color_byangelina

The interior of a commercial plane in 1936. The plane belonged to Imperial Airways, the first British commercial airline.

Similar to the 15th most liked colorized photo of 2021, the airplane interior that was colorized by Angelina Karpunina received 36k likes when it was shared in March 2021.⁠

Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, Twitter

13. Colorized Photo of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, 1953

Colorized by @jecinci

Newly engaged couple, Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, relaxing at the Kennedy family home in Hyannis Port in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on the 4th of July 1953. Credit: @jecinci

This jecinci colorized photo was shared in April 2021 and received over 36 thousand likes.⁠

Follow and see more colorizations from jecinci: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Website

12. Colorized Photograph of a soldier wearing a crown, 1945

Colorized by @julius.colorization ⁠

US Army soldier, Ivan Babcock of the 165th Signal Photo Company photographed wearing the crown of the Holy Roman Empire in a cave in Siegan, Germany on the 3rd of April 1945. The cave, which was captured by the US Army, was used by the Germans to store valuable works of art.

This photograph colorized by Julius Backman Jääskeläinen received 37,000 likes in 2021, making it the 12th most liked photo on HistoryColored in 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook

11. Colorization of iconic Spanish Civil War photo of Marina Ginestà, 1936

Colorized by @julius.colorization

Iconic Spanish Civil War photograph taken by Juan Guzmán of 17-year-old Marina Ginestà with an M1916 Spanish Mauser rifle overlooking Barcelona on July 21st, 1936 during the 1936 military uprising in Barcelona.

Another colorization created by Julius Backman Jääskeläinen, this post received over 37 thousand likes in 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook

10. Colorized Photo of a Japanese couple, circa 1920

Colorized by @julius.colorization

A Japanese couple taking a self-portrait together in c. 1920.

The third photograph on the list colorized by Julius Backman Jääskeläinen. This was posted on the HistoryColored Instagram page in September 2021 and received over 40,000 likes in the final months of the year.⁠

Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook

9. Colorized Photo of the oldest building in Hamburg, 1898

Colorized by @color_byangelina

 Photograph of the oldest house in Hamburg, Germany taken in 1898. It was built in 1524 and, despite protests from locals, was demolished on 8 December 1910.

The second colorized photo by Angelina Karpunina received over 41 thousand likes since it was first shared on the page in February 2021.⁠

Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, Twitter

8. Colorization of the Mercury Train, 1936

Colorized by @adding.colours

Mercury Train photographed in 1936. Mercury was the name used by the New York Central Railroad for a family of daytime streamliner passenger trains operating between midwestern cities. The Mercury’s started operating in 1936 and lasted until 1959.

This image was colorized by Adding Colours and when it was posted on the HistoryColored Instagram in April 2021, this post received 42 thousand likes.

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7. Colorized Photo of the original Star Wars cast, circa 1977

Colorized by @jecinci

The cast of Star Wars out of costume in c. 1977. From left to right: Harrison Ford (Han Solo), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker).

The 7th most liked photograph is the 2nd on the list by colorizer jecinci and amassed 43 thousand likes when it was posted on the HistoryColored Instagram.

Follow and see more colorizations from jecinci: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Website

6. Colorization of Leon Trotsky, Frida Kahlo, and Natalia Sedova, 1937

Colorized by @lorenzofolli_history_in_color

Russian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky (right), Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (center), and Revolutionary and wife of Trotsky, Natalia Sedova (left), photographed together in Mexico in 1937.

The first colorization featured on the list by Lorenzo Folli, this post earned 44,000 likes when it was posted late in 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from Lorenzo Folli: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

5. Colorized Photo of Apsaroke Native Americans, 1908

Colorized by @anton_colorization

Two Apsaroke Native Americans on horseback outside of a tipi in a snow-covered forest in Montana in 1908.

This colorized photograph by Antonín was posted on HistoryColored in July, and in the remaining 5 months of 2021, it received over 44,000 likes.

Follow and see more colorizations from Antonín: Instagram

4. Colorized Photos of a soldier before and after war, 1941 & 1945

Colorized by @color_byangelina ⁠

Two photographs of Evgeny Stepanovich Kobytev, a Soviet soldier, taken 4 years apart. The first image, on the left, was taken the day he went to fight in the war, age 30 in June 1941, and the photograph on the right was taken when he returned from the war in 1945.

This is the final of the colorized photos on this list by Angelina Karpunina, and between January 4th, 2021, and by the end of the year, it received 45 thousand likes.

Follow and see more colorizations from Angelina Karpunina: Instagram, Twitter

3. Colorization of a Royal Navy stoker, circa 1940s

Colorized by @jecinci

Royal Navy stoker with 21 years service nicknamed “Popeye”, photographed on board the HMS Rodney in September 1940. A stoker was responsible for anything from the propulsion systems to hydraulics, electrical, and firefighting systems. The HMS Rodney played a major role in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in mid-1941.

Starting the top 3 most like colorized photos of 2021 is a jecinci colorized image that earned over 49 thousand likes on the HistoryColored Instagram page in 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from jecinci: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Website

2. Colorized Photograph of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1958

Colorized by @hpr_color

A 37-year-old Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh poses for a portrait in Buckingham Palace, London, England, in 1958.

This is the 2nd most liked history colorized photo on the HistoryColored Instagram and was created by Johnny Sirlande. This photograph received over 51 thousand likes over the course of 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from Johnny Sirlande: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

1. Colorized Photo of Kaiser Wilhelm II of the German Empire, 1913

Colorized by @julius.colorization

Kaiser Wilhelm II of the German Empire photographed smoking in Silesia by Oscar Tellgmann in 1913.

Julius Backman Jääskeläinen colorized the most-liked history colorized photo of 2021 that was posted on the HistoryColored Instagram account. This photo of Kaiser Wilhelm II was posted on the 13th of February 2021 and received over 55,000 likes over the course of 2021.

Follow and see more colorizations from Julius Backman Jääskeläinen: Instagram, Facebook

If you enjoyed viewing these colorized photos from history, be sure to check out more Photos on the website!

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