Extraordinary color photographs show life in Russia in the early 1900s
posted Monday, January 14, 2013 at 1:05 PM EST
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Last November, we shared with you a treasure trove of rare, color images of life in Paris in the 1920s. And now here are some extraordinary color photographs captured during an even earlier time period -- pre-revolutionary Russia on the eve of World War I.
The images, 10 of which are shown below, were shot by Russian chemist and photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii from 1909-1915 as he travelled across the Russian Empire, documenting the lives and work of the Russian people, as well as landscapes and architecture. Color photography was still in its infancy at the time, and Prokudin-Gorskii travelled in a special train car which doubled as a darkroom so he could hand process his color images.
There are many more images and background info on Prokudin-Gorski and his color photography process at the Library of Congress, which purchased his glass negatives after his death in 1948.
(Via The Denver Post)
(Thanks Phil!)
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection
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Library of Congress, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection