Last Updated on July 9, 2025 by Matt Staff
Imagine stepping into the year 1912, not through dusty textbooks and black-and-white photos, but in full color. These 20 colorized images offer a rare chance to see the past as it really looked, with all the texture, emotion, and detail that color brings to light. From the fashions of the day to the faces of the people, these photos capture more than just moments; they reveal a world in motion.
At a glance, its history. But look a little closer, and you’ll see something more personal: a young girl lost in thought, a busy street corner, a proud worker posing for the camera. These aren’t just snapshots from the past; they’re reminders that behind every historical event were real people living real lives, just like we do today. Here are 20 colorized photos from 1912.
1. An explorer facing extreme cold while exploring Antarctica, 1912
2. Titanic survivors Marjorie and Charlotte Collyer immediately following the sinking of the ship, 1912
3. Tsar Nicholas II stopping for a photo with his eldest daughter, Olga, while walking through the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens, 1912
4. Children working as oyster shuckers in South Carolina, 1912
5. A woman asking for an autograph from a Titanic disaster survivor, 1912
6. The RMS Titanic before its departure, April 9th, 1912
7. Exploring an ice cavern in Antarctica, 1912
8. The Titanic’s crew in 1912
9. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Wilhelm II in Springe, 1912
10. Three young men in Estonia, 1912
11. Marie Curie, the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize, in her lab in Paris, 1912
12. At a charging station in 1912
13. A government printing office in 1912
14. Two young girls from Edmonton watching a train go by, 1912
15. A French soldier with signal flags during Maneuvers, 1912
16. A women’s pharmacy in Russia, 1912
17. The British women’s 4×100 Olympic relay team, 1912
18. Taking a photo on a donkey in Atlantic City, 1912
19. The liberation of Epirus during the First Balkan War, 1912
20. Edward Beale McLean and his wife, Evelyn, 1912
Want to see more vintage content from the early 1900s?
Check out 25 Colorized Photos of the Beginning of the 20th Century (1900-1905), or take a look at 20 Colorized Photos of the Early To Mid-1910s. Finally, if you want to see colorized photos of soldiers from the 1910s, check out 20 Colorized Photos of Soldiers in the 1910s.