Hand-colouring of photographs

Hand-colouring (or hand-coloring) refers to any method of manually adding colour to a monochrome photograph, generally either to heighten the realism of the image or for artistic purposes.

Typically, watercolours, oils, crayons or pastels, and other paints or dyes are applied to the image surface using brushes, fingers, cotton swabs or airbrushes.

Variations of this technique were patented in England by Richard Beard in 1842 and in France by Étienne Lecchi in 1842 and Léotard de Leuze in 1845.

Later, hand-colouring was used with successive photographic innovations, from albumen and gelatine silver prints to lantern slides[3] and transparency photography.

In 1842 Daniel Davis Jr. patented a method for colouring daguerreotypes through electroplating,[4] and his work was refined by Warren Thompson the following year.

The results of the work of Davis and Thompson were only partially successful in creating colour photographs and the electroplating method was soon abandoned.

Hand-colouring remained the easiest and most effective method to produce full-colour photographic images until the mid-20th century when American Kodak introduced Kodachrome colour film.

Though the hand-colouring of photographs was introduced in Europe, the technique gained considerable popularity in Japan, where the practice became a respected and refined art form beginning in the 1860s.

It is possible that photographer Charles Parker and his artist partner William Parke Andrew were the first to produce such works in Japan, but the first to consistently employ hand-colouring in the country were the photographer Felice Beato and his partner, The Illustrated London News artist and colourist Charles Wirgman.

[8] Hand-coloured photographs were also produced by Kusakabe Kimbei, Tamamura Kozaburō, Adolfo Farsari, Uchida Kuichi, Ogawa Kazumasa and others.

[11] The increased demand for hand-coloured landscape photography at the beginning of the 20th century is attributed to the work of Wallace Nutting.

Nutting, a New England minister, pursued hand-coloured landscape photography as a hobby until 1904, when he opened a professional studio.

With the start of the Great Depression in 1929, and the subsequent decrease in the numbers of the middle class, sales of hand-coloured photographs sharply diminished.

Since about 1970 there has been something of a revival of hand-colouring, as seen in the work of such artist-photographers as Robin Renee Hix, Elizabeth Lennard, Jan Saudek, Kathy Vargas, and Rita Dibert.

In spite of the availability of high-quality colour processes, hand-coloured photographs (often combined with sepia toning) are still popular for aesthetic reasons and because the pigments used have great permanence.

The use of crayon or pastel sticks of ground pigments in various levels of saturation is also considered a highly skilled colourist's domain, as it requires knowledge of drawing techniques.

Like oils, crayons and pastels generally obscure the original photograph, which produces portraits more akin to traditional paintings.

Hand-coloured photographs sometimes include the combined use of dyes, water-colours, oils, and other pigments to create varying effects on the printed image.

Optimal storage conditions include an environmentally controlled climate with low relative humidity (approximately 30-40% RH), temperatures under 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius), and a low concentration of particulate pollution, such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and ozone.

[21] If a photograph exhibits flaking or chipping emulsion it should not be stored in a plastic enclosure as static electricity could further damage the image.

[25] Clean cotton gloves should be worn when handling photographs to prevent skin oils and salts from damaging the surfaces.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Conservation Register provides a similar tool that searches by specialization, business, and surname.

Common particulate pollutants can cause watercolour pigments to fade, but the paint surface can be cleaned by lightly dusting with a soft brush to remove dirt.

In the United States, many commercially sold, hand-coloured photographs were packaged and framed for retail sale.

[31] Early 20th century hand-coloured photographs were often mounted on mat-board, placed behind a glass frame, and backed by wood panel slats, cardboard, or heavy paperboard.

Unfortunately, the paper products produced and used during the late-19th and early-20th centuries are highly acidic and will cause yellowing, brittling and degradation of hand-coloured photographs.