A Colourful Past:
Reconstructed images show world’s landmarks in a new light

A Colourful Past:
Reconstructed images show world’s landmarks in a new light

Thanks to an innovative collaboration between Retronaut website founder Wolfgang Wild and Jordan Lloyd of Dynamichrome, ‘history in black and white’ is a thing of the past.

These fascinating images – just a snippet of the 130 contained in a forthcoming book, The Paper Time Machine - all tell the story of how the world’s most iconic landmarks came to be.

Taking a step back in time to centuries-gone-by, the impressive portfolio is a must-see for keen observers of history and engineering alike. From a not-yet-finished London Bridge to the bell tower of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica under construction on the Montmartre Hill in Paris (and even the half-erected Eiffel Tower nearby), the snapshots paint a wonderful picture of how the world looked before such stunning landmarks actually made their mark.

Double Take

Set out chronologically, alongside their original monochrome ‘ancestors’, each new image will open our eyes to a rich authenticity, previously unseen by those looking back at game-changing moments in construction.

"Each element in the monochrome images has been researched and colour checked for historical authenticity. As the layers of colour build up, the effect is disorientatingly real and the decades and centuries just fall away. It is as though we are standing at the original photographer’s elbow."