Ted Turner assumes control...
 

of The Library of Congress.

I actually find the photos interesting. I know that some may take the same view over colorized movies, but IMHO the original photographers were not so much interested in making an artistic statement. B&W was the only tool they had at their disposal. At any rate, I think these are quite spiffy. I myself have been thinking of doing something like this with some old family photos after seeing what ngdawg did with her grandmother's old photo.

fuckin a this is awesome :D
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/boundfor...ges/bg0051.jpg

B&W has been the medium of choice for artistic purposes long after color was introduced.

I agree. But this was what these photographers likely had to work with.

Color processing was very expensive back in the day, as was color film and even when you could afford it, the processing and chemicals used didn't have a very long shelf life. There are pictures of my own generation that my parents have that have lost their color-Polaroids of the 60's were notorious for losing reds, causing the pictures to be all blue and yellow.
When I colorize, I try to keep the colors true to their time period and don't over-brighten, but the effect truly brings life to the picture.
Black and white will always have its place as an artistic statement; I turn a lot of my own work into black and white. But for photos of life back in the early part of the twentieth century, color gives them something we can relate to easier.

I suggest that your "we" is different than mine. :icare:

It's also important to remember that when shooting in black and white the photographer has different image in their minds eye. They light it differently, use the shadows differently...

I really don't understand the need to bring colour to these old films and photos.

From the exhibit's home page:

Link: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/boundfor...lory-home.html

These photos are not colourized or touched up in any way.

Cool. Then why mention Ted Turner?

because the OP didn't ferret out all the facts of the photos before posting.

I think the exhibit is pretty cool. It isn't often that you get to see the colour of those days. Most of the colour we are used to is in films that were made long after the era had passed.

Well damn me. And cnn.com because that is the first place I saw the pics and it was indicated there that they were colorized.

There wouldn't be any need. Simply a want. When Turner created all the flap he did with colorized movies, it had to have perhaps caused people to watch some old movies that they perhaps may have not watched otherwise.