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Hi, my name is Mario Unger, I'm a photographer and digital artist from Austria. Last year my main work was restoring and colorizing old photographs. In this post I show some of my favorites.

The reason for doing all of this work was to reduce the felt distance in time a little bit. I love B&W photography, but for some images I think, color is needed and most of B&W photography was done for one reason, there just was no color film!

If you want to see more, please follow me on social media.

More info: unarts.at | Instagram | Facebook

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    #2

    Mulberry Street, New York, 1900

    Mulberry Street, New York, 1900

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    #3

    Adrienne Ames ("From Hell To Heaven", 1933)

    Adrienne Ames ("From Hell To Heaven", 1933)

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    #5

    Maud Wagner CA 1905

    Maud Wagner CA 1905

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    Emma Jayne
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Her name was Maud Wagner, she was the first known female tattoo artist in U.S.

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    #7

    Humphrey Bogart, "Casablanca", 1942

    Humphrey Bogart, "Casablanca", 1942

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    #8

    Laurel Hardy, UK Tour, 1953

    Laurel Hardy, UK Tour, 1953

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    diane a
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Morning TV over the Christmas school holidays - early 70s - Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, (the original 1930s) Laurel and Hardy, Mack Sennet, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton - Pure Magic -- not forgetting Johnny Weitssmuller

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    #9

    Texas Couple, Early 20th Century, Heavy Restoration

    Texas Couple, Early 20th Century, Heavy Restoration

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    #10

    Evelyn Nesbit CA 1900

    Evelyn Nesbit CA 1900

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is her hair blonde? Evelyn Nesbit famously had very dark auburn hair. There are a number of photographs of her in which the harsh lighting makes it look as if her hair is lighter than it actually was, but she was ever blonde! besides, if you look at another image from the same series, of her posing as "Thisbe", you will see her hair is definitely dark: large.jpg large.jpg

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    #11

    Picasso

    Picasso

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    BusLady
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He left such a legacy. His style constantly changed throughout his life, which made him unique.

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    #12

    Oscar Wilde

    Oscar Wilde

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    Rich Auntie Skeleton
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oscar Wilde would be the King of Instagram if he were alive today. You all know it.

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    #13

    East Side Jewish Market, 1895

    East Side Jewish Market, 1895

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    Night Owl
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are so many details...that looks like so much work to colorize

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    #14

    Jerome, L.E., 1900

    Jerome, L.E., 1900

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    Hisseefit
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She looks like she modeled for Charles Gibson for his 'Gibson Girl' drawings. Beautiful.

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    #15

    Walt Disney, 1931

    Walt Disney, 1931

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    Night Owl
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder what he's telling the cat here. Did Mickey Mouse have to be approved by a cat?

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    #16

    In Honor Of A Great Person. Sophia Magdalena Scholl (1921-1943). Executed 75 Years Ago By The Greatest Criminals Humanity Has Ever Seen

    In Honor Of A Great Person. Sophia Magdalena Scholl (1921-1943). Executed 75 Years Ago By The Greatest Criminals Humanity Has Ever Seen

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    April Simnel
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We could learn a lot today from these kids. Look at Sophie's face; she is absolutely down for the cause. They knew they could pay the ultimate penalty, yet they were willing to face that and do what was right in spite of that, God bless their souls.

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    #19

    Edmund Hillary, 1953

    Edmund Hillary, 1953

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    Ladies and Gentlemen
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I refuse to believe its colored, but at the same time I know it is. You are one talented human sire!

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    #20

    Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski

    Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski

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    #21

    The Andrews Sisters

    The Andrews Sisters

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    #25

    "Arsenic And Old Lace", 1944

    "Arsenic And Old Lace", 1944

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    #26

    Che Guevara

    Che Guevara

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    Pradeep M
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is excellent work. Regardless of what we think about the person.

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    #27

    Hellen Keller

    Hellen Keller

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    #28

    Old Man, 1890

    Old Man, 1890

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    #31

    Mary Badham And Gregory Peck In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (1962)

    Mary Badham And Gregory Peck In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (1962)

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    #32

    Babe Ruth CA 1920

    Babe Ruth CA 1920

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    #33

    Silvia Sidney And Henry Fonda In "You Only Live Once" (1937)

    Silvia Sidney And Henry Fonda In "You Only Live Once" (1937)

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    Turnip and a Frog
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just a detali, really, but Fonda’s eyes were blue. But the whole selection is just fantastic :-)

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    #34

    Victor Hugo, 1876

    Victor Hugo, 1876

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    Destiny Rose
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my favorite authors. His imagery and story-telling is incredible. He was a true literary artist.

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    #35

    Buck Craske By Olive Edis CA 1910

    Buck Craske By Olive Edis CA 1910

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    Peak25500
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The photographer really mastered the light, or was it improved in post processing?

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    #36

    Last Photo Of Oliver Hardy, 1957

    Last Photo Of Oliver Hardy, 1957

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    #38

    Colley, Mrs. F. & Bell, Mrs. C.M. 1901

    Colley, Mrs. F. & Bell, Mrs. C.M. 1901

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    Rich Auntie Skeleton
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'mma say it. I know it was the style back in the day, and they look AWESOME, don't get me wrong. But something about them gives me a Harry Potter vibe.

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    #39

    Grace Kelly With Robert Cummings, Famous Bruegel Painting On The Wall

    Grace Kelly With Robert Cummings, Famous Bruegel Painting On The Wall

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    Mimis Nachbarin
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's quite an impressive work to make the dress that shiny green. Sehr beeindruckend.

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    #42

    Grace Kelly

    Grace Kelly

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry, but that dress was actually yellow. She wore it in the 1956 film "High Society" which was shot in Technicolor: http://www.cinestylography.com/film-style-high-society-1956/

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    #43

    Child CA 1870

    Child CA 1870

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    #44

    Laurel & Hardy, 1933

    Laurel & Hardy, 1933

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    rustic raven
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey what are we suppose to do with these silly things now that I have pulled this piece out of it ? Hey I don't know what does NITRO mean to you ?

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    #45

    Rachmaninoff CA 1915

    Rachmaninoff CA 1915

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    BusLady
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the B/W, his face looks so washed out. In the colour pic, his face looks much more 3 dimensional.

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    #46

    Fridtjof Nansen

    Fridtjof Nansen

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    Mick Fowler
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Brilliant work!

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    #48

    Boris Karloff As Imhotep In "The Mummy", 1932

    Boris Karloff As Imhotep In "The Mummy", 1932

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    #49

    Marilyn Monroe, 1951

    Marilyn Monroe, 1951

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    #51

    Toulouse Lautrec

    Toulouse Lautrec

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    Nadja Lambacher
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always adored his work. But like many artists he had a sad and lonely life. He thought he was unlovable because of his short stature.

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    #52

    Julie Adams In "Creature From The Black Lagoon", 1954

    Julie Adams In "Creature From The Black Lagoon", 1954

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    #53

    Margaret O'Brien (1937-) In "Lost Angel" (1943)

    Margaret O'Brien (1937-) In "Lost Angel" (1943)

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    #54

    Albert Einstein

    Albert Einstein

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    Eric Spence
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was a perfectionist, prone to temper, and was so into his work as are a lot of geniuses nowadays.

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    #56

    Greta Garbo

    Greta Garbo

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    Mimis Nachbarin
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Her eyes in the picture match beautifly the green of the emerald ring - but Greta Garbo was famous for her blue eyes. Nevertheless: amazing work.

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    #61

    Punlun, 1870

    Punlun, 1870

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    Mimis Nachbarin
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No. Pun Lun was the famous chinese fotographer who took that picture. The woman is one of his models. There are serveral pictures like that showing mother and and child.

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    #62

    Gioacchino Rossini, 1856

    Gioacchino Rossini, 1856

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    #63

    Ellen Terry At Age Sixteen, By Julia Margaret Cameron, 1864

    Ellen Terry At Age Sixteen, By Julia Margaret Cameron, 1864

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    #64

    Crown Prince Rudolf Of Austria, 1889 (Year Of His Suicide)

    Crown Prince Rudolf Of Austria, 1889 (Year Of His Suicide)

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    #65

    "Once Upon A Time", 1944

    "Once Upon A Time", 1944

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    #67

    Woman In The White House, 1944

    Woman In The White House, 1944

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    Sori
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Look up "Ella Watson standing in front of US flag" by Gordon Parks

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    #68

    Franz Liszt, 1886

    Franz Liszt, 1886

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    April Simnel
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, this is a long way from Lisztomania! Would love to see a version of him as the young pianist and composer who made teenage girls and young women swoon.

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    #70

    "Lotion" Tar Bishop

    "Lotion" Tar Bishop

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    #71

    Louis Pasteur By Felix Nadar CA 1890

    Louis Pasteur By Felix Nadar CA 1890

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    #72

    Jascha Heifetz, 1920

    Jascha Heifetz, 1920

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    Mer
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    (Percy Weasley) (Apology for being a wanna-be HP casting director given several posts back)

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    #74

    June Allyson CA 1940

    June Allyson CA 1940

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    BusLady
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It took a lot of work to style the hair like that. They didn't have the styling tools we have today.

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    #75

    Henry Ford, 1863-1947

    Henry Ford, 1863-1947

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    Conni Robertson
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "...In the Dearborn Independent, a local newspaper he bought in 1918, Ford published a number of anti-Semitic writings that were collected and published as a four volume set called The International Jew. Though he later renounced the writings and sold the paper, he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and Germany, and in 1938 accepted the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the Nazi regime’s highest medal for a foreigner."https://www.history.com/topics/henry-ford

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    #77

    Portrait Of The Photographer Dr. George Wharton James (1858-1923) CA 1908

    Portrait Of The Photographer Dr. George Wharton James (1858-1923) CA 1908

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    #78

    John L. Burns, The Old Hero Of Gettysburg, 1863

    John L. Burns, The Old Hero Of Gettysburg, 1863

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    BusLady
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Keeping that gun handy, in case some of those Rebel boys come sneaking around.

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    #80

    Enrico Caruso CA 1910

    Enrico Caruso CA 1910

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    #81

    Egon Schiele, 1914

    Egon Schiele, 1914

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    #82

    Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 1893, Elephant Hunting, India

    Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 1893, Elephant Hunting, India

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    Zenozenobee
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stop downvoting this one. It also hurts me to see this poor animal with those "hunters" sitting on him as if he was nothing. But it's definitivly a good reason not to hide the pic ;) It won't erase what has been done. When you read that elephants are endangered because of poaching it could be fun if it wasn't so sad. The poachers are distoying what is left (and it's bad of course) from all those legal hunts that have lower the number of individual so drastically. Works for so many species. Hunting to eat is understable. Hunting to sit on a body to mean "Hey, I'm proud I killed this one" is not new, is a shame and shouldn't be hidden.

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    #84

    Lewis (Powell) Payne Minutes Before He Was Executed, 1865. He Was A Conspirator In The Lincoln Assassination

    Lewis (Powell) Payne Minutes Before He Was Executed, 1865. He Was A Conspirator In The Lincoln Assassination

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No, that's not "minutes before he was executed", that's a photograph taken aboard USS Saugus by Alexander Gardner, on April 27, over two months before the actual execution, which took place on July 7, 1865.

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    #86

    Walt Whitman, 1858

    Walt Whitman, 1858

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    #88

    C. M. Bell Jung CA 1865

    C. M. Bell Jung CA 1865

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not quite sure what uniform this is, but it looks a lot like the service uniform of a Lieutenant of Marines around the 1880s rather than the 1860s. In which case the stripe on the trousers would be RED. The shoulder boards are ok. s-l1600.jpg s-l1600.jpg

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    #91

    Mercer Washington, Baseball Player, 1896

    Mercer Washington, Baseball Player, 1896

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    #92

    US Civil War Admiral David Dixon Porter CA 1860

    US Civil War Admiral David Dixon Porter CA 1860

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    David Dixon Porter had dark hair and beard and the shoulder straps on his uniform were BLACK, not RED, which was the colour for the artillery! I get it you like to add a splash of colour here and there, but just making stuff whatever colour with no regard for context and authenticity, just makes this a half-assed effort at best.

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    #93

    Chaplin And Sousa Not Exactly Fitting The Post, But Sousa Is Wearing A Uniform At Least

    Chaplin And Sousa Not Exactly Fitting The Post, But Sousa Is Wearing A Uniform At Least

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    Alice Heitland
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Alexandra Bucur, were you a time traveler and there for these pictures? Surely you must have a low opinion of yourself if you feel the need to tear apart every picture

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    #94

    Thomas Wodrow Wilson, 1913 -1921

    Thomas Wodrow Wilson, 1913 -1921

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    #96

    German Naval Officer, WWI, CA 1915

    German Naval Officer, WWI, CA 1915

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I get it that you're from Austria, but the K.u.K uniform was completely different. This guy's a German, so the cap roundel should have been BLACK-WHITE-RED, because those were the state colours. As for the medals - from the right, the Württemberg "Order of Friedrichs" had a LIGHT BLUE ribbon, the Saxon "Order of Albrecht" had a GREEN ribbon and a GREEN wreath with a BLUE enamel medallion, the Bavarian "Royal Merit Order of St. Michael" has a PINK and BLUE ribbon and the medal itself is SILVER with BLUE enamel on the cross, the 1897 Prussian Kaiser Wilhelm Centennial Medal has a YELLOW ribbon, the Boxer Rebellion Medal ribbon is striped WHITE-BLACK-RED-YELLOW, the Herero Rebellion medal is BLACK-WHITE-RED, the Prussian 25-Year Long Service Cross has a BLUE ribbon, the Prussian Royal Order of the Crown has a LIGHT BLUE ribbon and medallion and the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle has an ORANGE-WHITE ribbon and the cross is silver, not gold.

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    #97

    Roger Fenton As "Zuave", Crimean War, 1856

    Roger Fenton As "Zuave", Crimean War, 1856

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The French Zouaves very famously had RED trousers and it's something they kept until WW1! How can you even get this wrong?!? http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W_ceSTr5SwE/ULTGANAN88I/AAAAAAAAARA/AOisyLwBL8A/s1600/100_0942.JPG RaczynskiA...e.1858.jpg RaczynskiAleksander.ZuawiWWalce.1858.jpg

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    #98

    Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841

    Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841

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    #99

    James Buchanan, 1857-1861

    James Buchanan, 1857-1861

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    #100

    Rasputin CA 1910

    Rasputin CA 1910

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Come on, Rasputin with GREEN eyes, when everybody who met him commented on just how piercing the gaze of his BLUE eyes were? You made him look less like the madman mystic he was and more like he's stoned!

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    #101

    Kaiser Franz Joseph, 1895. The Second To Last Austrian Emporer In His Military Uniform

    Kaiser Franz Joseph, 1895. The Second To Last Austrian Emporer In His Military Uniform

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    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His general uniform had two broad red stripes running down each pant leg: des-kaiser...formen.jpg des-kaisers-kleider-uniformen.jpg The decorations are also a bit off, here is how they should have looked like: Galaunifor...seph_I.jpg Galauniform_von_Kaiser_Franz_Joseph_I.jpg

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    #102

    Gustav Mahler

    Gustav Mahler

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