Digital colourisation shows off the most amazing clothes from around the world.
Here are just a handful of the 12 million men, women, and children who arrived at Ellis Island, New York, between 1892 and 1954 to start a new life in the USA, often dressed in their finest clothes. The portraits show immigrants wearing the national dress of their country of origin, including military uniforms from Albania, bonnets from the Netherlands, and clothing of Sámi people from the Arctic regions.
The photographs were taken between 1906 and 1914 by amateur photographer Augustus Francis Sherman, the chief registry clerk at Ellis Island, then the country’s busiest immigration station. In 1907 some of the photos were published by National Geographic.
Photo colourisation specialists at Dynamichrome have put painstaking work into bringing these photos to vivid life by adding colour, using historical references to help pinpoint the exact colours, including postcards from the era, and colour photographers from a later date. The colourisation helps us imagine the vivid splendour these culturally significant clothes would have held in their day.
The photos form part of the book The Paper Time Machine, funding for which is currently being crowdsourced.
Use our slidey thing to see both the original black-and-white photo and the finished colourised image, accompanied by captions by Dynamichrome.
“Laplander”, c. 1910
“Gákti is the traditional costume of the Sámi people inhabiting the Arctic regions spanning from northern Norway to the Kola peninsula in Russia. Traditionally made from reindeer leather and wool, velvet and silks are also used, with the (typically blue) pullover being supplemented by contrasting coloured banding of plaits, brooches and jewellery. The decorations are region-specific and the gákti is used in ceremonial contexts such as weddings, or signified whether or not one was single or married, but also served a working dress when herding reindeer.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Ruthenian Woman”, 1906
“Historically inhabiting the kingdom of the Rus, ranging from parts of modern-day Slavic-speaking countries, this example of Ruthenian traditional dress consisted of a shirt and underskirt made from linen that was embroidered with traditional floral based patterns. The sleeveless jacket is constructed from panels of sheepskin.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Cossack Man”, c. 1906–1914
“The Cossacks were famed soldiers that by the time this photograph was taken had evolved into a military class that numerously served as border guards or police. A Cossack soldier was required to provide their own arms, horses and uniform at their own expense. The gentleman here is most likely from the Ussuri Cossack Host, characterised by his papakha lamb-wool hat and the green cherkesska coat accented in yellow. The coat features a number of pouches to house gazyri, traditionally metal powder tubes for early firearms.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Alsace-Lorraine Girl”, 1906
“Hailing from the Germanic-speaking region of Alsace (now in modern-day France), the large bow, known as a schlupfkàpp, was worn by single women. The bows signified the bearer’s religion: black for Protestants, while Catholics favoured bright colours.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Romanian Shepherd”, 1906
“Dominating the photograph is a traditional shepherd’s cloak known as sarică, made from three or four sheepskins sewn together with the fleece facing outwards and generally extended to below the knee, which could be used as a pillow when sleeping outdoors. Sheepskin was also used to make the shepherd’s cojoc, an embroidered sleeved coat that had tassels, leather strips, and other small decorative elements added. This particular example wasn’t likely used for practical purposes given the amount of decoration adorning it.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Italian Woman”, c. 1910
“This traditional dress was most likely homespun and consisted of a long, wide dress to cover the ankles. Above, a bodice and sleeves were tied in such a way to expose portions of the linen blouse and colours and materials were usually regional. Shawls and veils were also a common feature, and an apron decorated with floral brocades were used for special occasions such as weddings.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Hindoo Boy”, 1911
“The topi (a word to denote ‘cap’) is worn all over the Indian subcontinent with many regional variations and cultural significance, and is especially popular in Muslim communities, where it is known as a taqiyah. Both the cotton khadi and the prayer shawl are most likely handspun on a charkha, and were used all year round.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Viadigitalcollections.nypl.org
“Guadeloupean Woman”, 1911
“The elaborate tartan headpiece worn by Guadeloupean woman can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when the eastern Indian city of Madras was famed for its cotton-making. First plain, then striped, and then with increasingly elaborate patterns, the Madras fabric that was exported and used as headwraps was eventually influenced by the Scottish in colonial India, leading to a Madras-inspired tartan known as ‘Madrasi checks’, which in the colonial empires made its way to the French-occupied Caribbean. Like many of the traditional costumes from all over the world, the headpiece decoration in many cases was indicative of the married status of the wearer.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Albanian Soldier”, c. 1910
“The truncated brimless felt cap is known as a qeleshe, whose shape was largely determined by region and moulded to one’s head. The vest, known as a jelek or xhamadan, was decorated with embroidered braids of silk or cotton; its colour and decoration denoted the region where the wearer was from and their social rank. Most likely this soldier is from the northeastern regions of Albania, judging by the cut and colour of his outfit.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Rev. Joseph Vasilon, Greek-Orthodox Priest”, c. 1910
“The vestments of the Greek Orthodox church have remained largely unchanged. In this photograph, the priest wears an anteri, an ankle-length cassock (from the Turkish quzzak, from which the term Cossack also derives) worn by clergymen over which an amaniko, a type of cassock vest, is sometimes worn, over which the black outer cassock known as a exorason is worn. The stiff cylindrical hat is called a kalimavkion and is worn during services.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Dutch Woman”, c. 1910
“The large bonnet, which arguably is one of the most recognisable aspects of Dutch traditional dress, was usually made of white cotton or lace and sometimes had flaps or wings, and often came with a cap. The rest of the costume came in distinctly regional variations, made from cotton, linen, or wool and decorated with embroidered floral patterns. A sleeved bodice covered the top half of the body and came in a dark colour, contrasted by a colourful tunic as seen in this photograph.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Danish Man”, 1909
“Evolving since the 1750s, the Danish dressed simply, with more decorated attire for special occasions such as weddings or Sunday church. As with many nations before mass industrialisation, much of the clothing was homespun by Danish women or a professional weaver and were usually made from wool and flax, which were warm and relatively easy to acquire. Cuts and patterns were largely regional with a limited palette derived from vegetable dye. Men often wore several shirts underneath their jackets, and the addition of silver buttons on the jacket and other decorative details indicated an individual’s wealth and origin.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Romanian Piper”, c. 1910
“This particular crojoc – an embroidered sleeved sheepskin coat – is much plainer than the shepherd’s version, making it a more practical, work-oriented coat, suggesting that the subject is of the working class, given the lack of decoration and the straw hat. The waistcoat, known as a pieptar, is worn by both men and women, and smaller waistcoats were made from lambskin.” – DynamichromeAugustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Algerian Man”, c. 1910
“Algerian identity is shaped by its indigenous Berber, Arab, African, and Mediterranean cultures. The kufiya is a square of fabric folded into a triangle and set upon the head by an ‘iqual, a circlet of camel hair. The kaftan tunic has been worn by many cultures and was often made of wool, silk, or cotton – though the cloak, known as a burnous, was made from woollen fabric and came with a hood and ranged from white to dark brown depending on the region.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Viadigitalcollections.nypl.org
“Bavarian Man”, c. 1910
“The traditional dress of Germany is known as the trachten, and like so many others has regional variations. In the alpine regions of Germany, like Bavaria, leather breeches known as lederhosen were worn regularly by rural folk, though in modern-day Germany, most people associate the garment with the annual Oktoberfest. The grey jacket, known as a trachtenjanker, is made from fulled wool and decorated with horn buttons, and often used by hunters in the region.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
“Norwegian Woman”, c. 1906–1914
“‘Bunad’ is an umbrella term encompassing Norwegian traditional dress that is distinctly Norwegian, though the costumes themselves like so many others are influenced by region, tradition, and available material. In rural Norway, clothes were often made at home and typically made from wool, though silk or other imported material was available. Decoration was elaborate or sparse depending on the region, or whether or not the dress was considered Sunday best. In much of rural Norway, women often covered their hair as a sign they were married.” – Dynamichrome Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome / Via digitalcollections.nypl.org
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