A company called Algorithmia has been developing an algorithm that colorizes black and white pictures, by analyzing patterns and textures. It is able to recognize human faces and turn them skin-colored, recognize grass and turn it green, recognize sky and turn it blue, etc. Using this free program, we have taken 20 historic Schmidt photographs and portraits that have only ever existed in monochrome, and we have turned them into color photographs. When pictures are in black and white, they tend not to seem as real. Seeing these people and scenes in full color makes you feel as though you are right there with your ancestors 75, 100, or 125 years ago. We started off by colorizing one of our oldest and most iconic family pictures:
Conrad Jacob Schmidt (1841-1891) and Martha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923), ca. 1880
We then ran it through the colorizing program:
Colorization process underway
And finally, for the first time ever, we see Conrad and Martha Schmidt of West Bend, Iowa, in full, living color:
Conrad Jacob Schmidt (1841-1891) and Martha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923), ca. 1880, colorized
Here are some other black and white Schmidt family photos that are now in color for the first time:
Katharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939) and her mother, Martha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923), ca. 1915Katharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939) and her mother, Martha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923), ca. 1915, colorizedMartha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923) and her granddaughter, Anna (Lindemann) Verbrugge (1888-1974), ca. 1910Martha Elisabeth (Lindemann) Schmidt (1837-1923) and her granddaughter, Anna (Lindemann) Verbrugge (1888-1974), ca. 1910, colorizedMary (Moser) Schmidt (1874-1958) and her husband, Henry John Schmidt Sr. (1862-1951), ca. 1945Mary (Moser) Schmidt (1874-1958) and her husband, Henry John Schmidt Sr. (1862-1951), ca. 1945, colorizedKatharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939) and her husband, Michael Lindemann (1860-1951), ca. 1935Katharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939) and her husband, Michael Lindemann (1860-1951), ca. 1935, colorizedMichael Lindemann (1860-1951) and his wife, Katharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939), with their 50th anniversary cake, ca. 1937Michael Lindemann (1860-1951) and his wife, Katharina Elisabeth Martha “Lizzie” (Schmidt) Lindemann (1864-1939), with their 50th anniversary cake, ca. 1937, colorizedHerman Balthasar Louis Schmidt (1872-1926) and his wife, Elizabeth (Krug) Schmidt (1888-1954), with a niece and nephew of theirs, ca. 1920Herman Balthasar Louis Schmidt (1872-1926) and his wife, Elizabeth (Krug) Schmidt (1888-1954), with a niece and nephew of theirs, ca. 1920, colorizedAnna Sabine Elise (Schmidt) Jergens (1873-1961) and her husband, Lewis John Jergens (1871-1954), ca. 1930Anna Sabine Elise (Schmidt) Jergens (1873-1961) and her husband, Lewis John Jergens (1871-1954), ca. 1930, colorizedMargaret Anna (Schmidt) Van Loh (1875-1910), ca. 1900Margaret Anna (Schmidt) Van Loh (1875-1910), ca. 1900, colorizedJohn Adams Lindeman (1872-1933) and his cousin, Georg Karl Schmidt (1864-1933), ca. 1905John Adams Lindeman (1872-1933) and his cousin, Georg Karl Schmidt (1864-1933), ca. 1905, colorizedGeorg Karl Schmidt’s (1864-1933) casket and grave at the West Bend Cemetery, ca. 1933Georg Karl Schmidt’s (1864-1933) casket and grave at the West Bend Cemetery, ca. 1933, colorizedAnna Margaretha “Maggie” (Lindemann) Schmidt (1864-1943), ca. 1885Anna Margaretha “Maggie” (Lindemann) Schmidt (1864-1943), ca. 1885, colorized(Left to right) (Back row) Frederick William “Fred” Schmidt (1892-1955); Michael Conrad “Mike” Schmidt (1894-1954). (Front row) Henry John Schmidt Jr. (1896-1974); John Norwin Van Loh (1904-1982). (Fred, Mike, and Henry Jr. were brothers. John was their cousin.) ca. 1920(Left to right) (Back row) Frederick William “Fred” Schmidt (1892-1955); Michael Conrad “Mike” Schmidt (1894-1954). (Front row) Henry John Schmidt Jr. (1896-1974); John Norwin Van Loh (1904-1982). (Fred, Mike, and Henry Jr. were brothers. John was their cousin.) ca. 1920, colorizedChris Emil Schmidt (1901-1976) and Ida (Messner) Schmidt (1906-1983) and their children, ca. 1965Chris Emil Schmidt (1901-1976) and Ida (Messner) Schmidt (1906-1983) and their children, ca. 1965, colorizedGottlieb Friedrich Schafer (1881-1945) and his wife, Elizabeth Marie (Schmidt) Schafer (1889-1973), ca. 1910Gottlieb Friedrich Schafer (1881-1945) and his wife, Elizabeth Marie (Schmidt) Schafer (1889-1973), ca. 1910, colorizedWilliam Conrad Schmidt (1888-1956) and his wife, Anna Henrietta (Niewoehner) Schmidt (1887-1942) (seated), with Anna’s parents (standing), ca. 1911William Conrad Schmidt (1888-1956) and his wife, Anna Henrietta (Niewoehner) Schmidt (1887-1942) (seated), with Anna’s parents (standing), ca. 1911, colorizedMichael Frederick Schmidt (1899-1974) as a young boy, ca. 1910Michael Frederick Schmidt (1899-1974) as a young boy, ca. 1910, colorizedMarie Grace (Jennings) Schmidt (1904-1996), and her husband, Michael Frederick Schmidt (1899-1974), ca. 1970Marie Grace (Jennings) Schmidt (1904-1996), and her husband, Michael Frederick Schmidt (1899-1974), ca. 1970, colorizedHenry John Schmidt (1904-1974; the son of Karl and Maggie Schmidt), ca. 1925Henry John Schmidt (1904-1974; the son of Karl and Maggie Schmidt), ca. 1925, colorizedBill Henry Schmidt (1912-1982) and his horses, on the farm near Curlew, Iowa, ca. 1940Bill Henry Schmidt (1912-1982) and his horses, on the farm near Curlew, Iowa, ca. 1940, colorized
If you love what you’ve seen here, you can colorize some of your old black and white family photos yourself! Go to http://demos.algorithmia.com/colorize-photos/ and try it for free.
