The Oldest Color Photograph: 1872

These Photographs were produced in France & England decades before George Eastman produced any color process in the United States.

Vintage Color Photo: Autochrome
This Color Photograph was made in 1907 in France. Today some of the most...

The oldest known color photograph: 1872
Before the Autochrome process was perfected in France, this photograph of a...

Louis Lumiere: 1907
"Young Lady with an Umbrella & Wild-flowers"

Louis Lumiere: circa 1915
Mme. Antoine Lumiere and Granddaughter

Mrs. G.A. Barton 1919
"Harvest Bounties": from an amatuer in England using Autochrome film.

Commander Jean Tournassou, circa 1915
"French Soldiers in the Field" on bivouac near a shallow stream,...

article published 3/16/2001

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Many more early color pictures
I found many more early color pictures at: http://www.greatwar.nl/kleur/kleur.html . Enjoy!
— Bart Breder, February 7, 2005

You can find in the Congress library about 2000 color photos made in 1907 in Russia by original method. Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii's photographic survey of the Russian Empire (1909-1915) provides 2,615 distinct photographic views that show cities and villages, religious architecture, industrial and agricultural activities and sites, historic sites, waterway and railway construction, cultural artifacts, people, and flora and fauna. Each journey is represented by one or more photographic albums and corresponding negatives for the Caucaus, Turkestan (Central Asia), Marinskii Canal, Ural Mountains region, Volga River region, Napoleonic War area, and Murmansk Railway. There is also an album of various studies, including views in Europe.

MEDIUM: 14 albums (2,433 photographic prints) ; 27 x 41 cm. (album) 1,902 negatives glass, b&w, three-color separation, triple frame ; 24 x 9 cm.
— Yuli, December 7, 2004

The old color photos are marvelous. Thank you so much for your fine website.
— M S Daniloff, October 22, 2004

Association des amis de J-B. Tournassoud
The image "Vintage Color Photo: Autochrome" is also by Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud (1866-1951)who was the Chief of the Photography and Cinematography Organization for the French Army during WWI
— Nadia Valla, February 27, 2004

Mrs G A BARTON, nee Emma RAYSON
Hello, Thank you for this beautiful website. Mrs G A Barton, photographer of Harvest Bounty, 1919 on your site, was born Emma RAYSON. I do not have much information about her, but there is an active group of RAYSON family history researchers on the net. Please contact me jilljunk@shaw.ca if you wish to join. (myfamily.com is the hosting website).
— Jill Browne, December 24, 2003

I stumbled across this http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/ and find it to be the best collection of early color photos around.
— John, November 24, 2003

About The 1872 Color Photo
Dear Mr. Wells,

There are 2 color photos in the web page http://elmo.academyart.edu/study/ph101/Slides%20index.htm which are older than the 1872 photo.

One is called "Tartan Ribbon" by James Clerk Maxwell in 1861. Another is called "Diaphanie (Leaves)" by Louis Ducos Du Hauron, the same photographer of the 1872 photo, taken in 1869.You may see them by clicking into their titles. Both photos are from A World History of Photography, 2nd Edition, by Naomi Rosenblum.

Anyway, your photos are so rare and lovely that I like very much!

Yours sincerely,

Louis Lee from Hong Kong
— Louis Lee, August 4, 2003

Glorious Colour!
Were ther ever any autochromes taken of famous people?
— Roberto, April 3, 2003

Marvelous!
Photography originated in France and England. Wonderful early images. Ingebiorg
— Ingeborg Snipes, April 4, 2001