All articles Ukraine History of Ukraine Kyiv circa 1890 in color(ed) photographs

Kyiv circa 1890 in color(ed) photographs

12/01/2019

1 minute read

Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress.

Kyiv circa 1890 in color(ed) photographs

The US Library of Congress hosts a number of unique colorized postcards from modern-day Ukraine made by the Detroit Photographic Company, a photographic publishing firm launched in the late 1890s by Detroit businessman and publisher William A. Livingstone, Jr., and photographer and photo-publisher Edwin H. Husher. They obtained the exclusive rights to use the Swiss “Photochrom” process for converting black-and-white photographs into color images and printing them by photolithography. This process permitted the mass production of color postcards, prints, and albums for sale to the American market. The company existed until 1932, as the declining sale of photographs and postcards during World War I, and the introduction of new and cheaper printing methods used by competing firms brought them out of business. More information about the collection can be found here.

The colorizing method applied to monochrome photographs allows us to get a good feeling of how it was to actually live in Kyiv in those days!

A view of the Kyiv University. Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress — A view of the Kyiv University (the large red building at the top of the hill). Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

A view of the Podol district of Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

A view of the Lavra in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

A view of the gate to the Lavra in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

The remote caves at the Lavra in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

The Commercial Club in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

The Catholic church in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Volodymyr Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Nicholas Bridge in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Michael Monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

St. Andrew Church in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

On the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

Mykolayivska Street in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

Askold's Tomb in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress — Askold’s Tomb in Kyiv, Ukraine circa 1890-1900. Image: Detroit Publishing Company via the Library of Congress

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter