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RecolorthePast

Your city, a century ago — in color

See old Riga, Paris or Berlin exactly as they looked, street by street, in living color. Colorize and restore old European city and heritage photos and walk back into the past. Free preview, no sign-up to try.

From a gray old street to living color

Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same 1979 London street with its faded color restored and clarifiedAfterAI-processed
A faded 1979 color photograph of Throgmorton Avenue in the City of London
Before
London street, 1979 — A faded 1979 London street, color restored
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same 1961 railway scene colorized, with natural metal, foliage and skyAfterAI-processed
A black-and-white 1961 photograph of an electric train at a railway changeover
Before
Railway, 1961 — A 1961 railway scene, colorized
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same Powder Tower colorized, with weathered brick and green foliageAfterAI-processed
A black-and-white 1920s photograph of the Powder Tower in Riga
Before
Riga Powder Tower — The medieval Powder Tower in color
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same Paris photochrom with revived color — warm stone and a clear skyAfterAI-processed
A faded 1890s photochrom of the Panthéon and rue Soufflot in Paris
Before
The Panthéon, Paris — An 1890s Paris photochrom, color restored
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same 1912 Riga street with its faded color revived and clarifiedAfterAI-processed
A faded 1912 photograph of Alexanderstrasse, now Brīvības iela, in Riga
Before
Brīvības iela, 1912 — A faded 1912 Riga postcard, color restored
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same London high street around 1900, colorized with brick storefronts and passers-byAfterAI-processed
A black-and-white photograph of Powis Street, Woolwich, London around 1900
Before
Edwardian London — A c.1900 London high street in color
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same Riga street around 1900, colorized with warm building tones and a soft skyAfterAI-processed
A black-and-white photograph of Vaļņu iela in Riga around 1900
Before
Old Riga, Vaļņu iela — A c.1900 Riga street brought to life in color
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare the before and after images.The same Flatiron Building colorized, with warm stone and a blue city skyAfterAI-processed
A black-and-white c.1903 photograph of the Flatiron Building in New York City
Before
Flatiron Building — The 1903 Flatiron Building in New York, colorized

Perfect for

  • The street where your family lived, a century ago, in color
  • Local-history projects, city anniversaries and heritage archives
  • Then-and-now comparisons that make old streets feel walkable again

How it works

  1. 1

    Upload the old photo

    Drag in a city street, a square, a building or a heritage scene. JPG, PNG, TIFF and more are supported.

  2. 2

    AI restores and colorizes

    We clean up age damage, sharpen detail, and add natural color to buildings, streets and skies.

  3. 3

    Download in full resolution

    Download a watermark-free, high-resolution image — beautiful for a local-history project, exhibition or print.

Made in Europe, hosted in Europe

Heritage matters, and so does where your photos go. Every image is processed on EU servers under GDPR, never used to train AI, and deleted automatically.

Read the privacy policy

European heritage photos — common questions

Will the colors be historically accurate?
They're an AI-estimated, realistic interpretation based on the photo — natural and lifelike, but a thoughtful guess rather than a documented record of the exact original colors. Ideal for bringing a scene to life, not for forensic dating.
Can I colorize a whole local-history archive?
Yes. Drop in a folder or a .zip and we'll process the collection together, then let you download each image or all of them as a single ZIP.
Where are my photos processed?
On servers inside the European Union, under the GDPR. Files are deleted automatically after about 24 hours without an account, or 7 days with one, and you can delete them yourself any time. Nightly backups may keep copies of photos and results for about 14 days after the backup is made, even if you delete a photo sooner.

More ways to bring your photos to life