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babelcolour2.bsky.social
Babel Colour feed
@babelcolour2.bsky.social
Stuart Humphryes, known as BabelColour since 2006. I clean, enhance & transform early colour photography.

London, England
ko-fi.com/babelcolour

This is an automatic feed of the X account. If you own it and want this Bluesky account, just reach out.
I have cleaned-up this fascinating autochrome of James Thin (famous for his chain of bookshops), who was born 202 years ago (in Edinburgh on 23rd March 1824), making him (so far as is currently known) the earliest-born person ever to have been photographed in colour. He is seen here in the garden...
February 3, 2026 at 4:41 AM
And here are the same two children running away from the toy shop. Their hands may be empty but their imaginations are overflowing!
February 3, 2026 at 4:40 AM
Reading the newspaper over 120 years ago, this early colour photo was taken by the German scientist, photographer, lens designer and photochemist Adolf Miethe using a camera of his own design. It employed a three colour-filter method pre-dating the autochrome process. It is original colour, not c...
February 3, 2026 at 4:40 AM
If any of my followers have a subscription to... EDIT: Many thanks to the kindness of @TimTakeMFT for helping me out by finding the newspaper clipping. I am *very* much obliged to you!
nitter.net
February 3, 2026 at 4:39 AM
1915 - a wounded soldier carries a Christmas Tree home to his family in Chelsea, London. I've cleaned-up this wonderfully poignant photograph captured 110 years ago. Merry Christmas to all. 🎄
February 3, 2026 at 4:39 AM
Wishing all my followers a really wonderful New Year. Thank you all for your kindness & engagement throughout 2025 - you made this site a real pleasure! And I hope you'll continue to enjoy all the photo work through 2026 too ♥️
nitter.net
February 3, 2026 at 4:39 AM
To start 2026 off with some positivity, I thought I would give something back to my followers. You were so kind & supportive last year, I thought I'd extend my previous offer to revamp portraits of your ancestors using the ai tools I demonstrated on December 13th. If you would like to post a port...
February 3, 2026 at 4:39 AM
Photographed in colour 114 years ago, I've spruced-up this autochrome plate of a Christmas Tree in 1911, decorated with all the flags of the world (some of which, you may notice, no longer exist) It is original colour, not colourised.
February 3, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Followers often say they don't see my posts any more. Did you know there are 2 tabs at the top of your X Home Page: if you've highlighted "For You" then the algorithms decide what you see based on what it thinks you like, but if you click "Following" you'll see posts from people you actually foll...
February 3, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Photographed in colour 114 years ago, I transport you back to the golden glow of October 1912. I've enhanced for you this beautiful autochrome of 12-year-old Audrey Green (1900-1991), taken by amateaur photographer Stephen Pegler in his Nottinghamshire hometown of Retford. The…
February 3, 2026 at 4:38 AM
A little closer to home today, with a photo which is only 65 years old, but it is also - perhaps - a little closer to our hearts too: The magic of playthings in the hearts of little children. This is Henley, in Oxfordshire, England, in 1960. Original colour.
February 3, 2026 at 4:37 AM
An Edardian Christmas in colour. I have cleaned-up this charming autochrome plate of three children showing off their Christmas toys about 115 year ago. It is original colour (not colourised)
February 3, 2026 at 4:36 AM
I've not been able to post much the last couple of weeks, so my apologies. Here is an enhancement of a First World War autochrome by Fernand Cuville, showing a sergeant of the 17th Indochinese Tirailleurs Regiment stationed at Soissons, in Aisne, France, 109 years ago. It is original colour from...
February 3, 2026 at 4:36 AM
Photographed in colour 112 years ago, I've cleaned-up this remarkable autochrome of Henri Lumiere, which was taken during the Great War by his father Auguste. It is such a casual, contemporary-looking photo I think it helps challenge our preconceptions of history. It was taken in…
February 3, 2026 at 4:35 AM
I've cleaned-up for you an autochrome of Malaga’s "cemetery" for derelicts of the sea in Spain in March 1929, photographed in colour by Jules Gervais Courtellemont for the National Geographic. It is original colour from 97 years ago, not colourised.
February 3, 2026 at 4:35 AM
People have asked me about bokeh, as it's not a particularly common word. So for those not familiar with it, I thought this may help. (In the case of the autochrome I posted, it's the burry circles of light formed around the tree's fairy-lights)
February 3, 2026 at 4:35 AM
Christmas 100 years ago. This evocative scene, with very atmospheric bokeh around the christmas lights, was taken in Rochester, New York, in 1925 by the furniture salesman and prolific autochrome enthusiast Charles Zoller (1854-1934), who would later bequeath almost 4000 autochromes to the Intern...
February 3, 2026 at 4:34 AM
Something completely different for you - actor Robert De Niro in 1950. Cleaned & colourised by yours truly. It's hard to believe it was taken 76 years ago!
February 3, 2026 at 4:34 AM
If you've enjoyed my BabelColour account in 2025, you may like to know I have a ko-fi page where followers can leave tips for artists they enjoy. This isn't my job, just a hobby on X, so all Christmas tips really help support what I do here. ♥️ LINK:
https://ko-fi.com/babelcolour
ko-fi.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:34 AM
Christmas 100 years ago. This evocative scene, with very atmospheric bokeh around the christmas lights, was taken in Rochester, New York, in 1925 by the furniture salesman and prolific autochrome enthusiast Charles Zoller (1854-1934), who would later bequeath almost 4000 autochromes to the Intern...
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
I have cleaned-up this fascinating autochrome of James Thin (famous for his chain of bookshops), who was born 202 years ago (in Edinburgh on 23rd March 1824), making him (so far as is currently known) the earliest-born person ever to have been photographed in colour. He is seen here in the garden...
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
A little closer to home today, with a photo which is only 65 years old, but it is also - perhaps - a little closer to our hearts too: The magic of playthings in the hearts of little children. This is Henley, in Oxfordshire, England, in 1960. Original colour.
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
An Edardian Christmas in colour. I have cleaned-up this charming autochrome plate of three children showing off their Christmas toys about 115 year ago. It is original colour (not colourised)
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
If any of my followers have a subscription to... EDIT: Many thanks to the kindness of @TimTakeMFT for helping me out by finding the newspaper clipping. I am *very* much obliged to you!
nitter.net
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
I've not been able to post much the last couple of weeks, so my apologies. Here is an enhancement of a First World War autochrome by Fernand Cuville, showing a sergeant of the 17th Indochinese Tirailleurs Regiment stationed at Soissons, in Aisne, France, 109 years ago. It is original colour from...
February 3, 2026 at 4:14 AM