People Of The Russian Empire: Original Color Photos (1909-1915)

Fantastic original color photos of the Russian Empire by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii.

What did the Russian Empire look like between 1909 and 1915? Thanks to Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944), we get some idea. Prokudin-Gorskii set out to record the Russian Empire’s landscape and its people in color. He recored religious architecture, historic sites, industry, agriculture, public works construction, scenes along water and railway transportation routes, and views of villages and cities. In this gallery we look at his portraits of people.

 

Peasant girls.RussianEmpire1910

 

Born in Murom, Russia (near Moscow), in 1863 and educated as a chemist, Prokudin-Gorskii  tudied with renowned scientists in St. Petersburg, Berlin, and Paris. His own original research yielded patents for producing color film slides and for projecting color motion pictures.

He wanted his “optical color projections” to show Russian the Empire. Equipped with a special railroad car-darkroom provided by Tsar Nicholas II, and in possession of two permits that granted him cooperation from the Empire’s bureaucracy and access to restricted areas, Prokudin-Gorskii documented the Russian Empire from 1909 through 1915.

 

 

Prokudin-Gorskii created his negatives by using a camera that exposed one oblong glass plate three times in rapid succession through three different color filters: blue, green, and red. For formal presentations, he printed positive glass slides of these negatives and projected them through a triple lens magic lantern. Prokudin-Gorskii would project the slide through the three lenses, and, with the use of color filters, superimpose the three exposures to form a full color image on a screen

 

 

ussian EMpireRussianEmpire1910

RussianEmpire1910

RussianEmpire1910

Zindan (prison), with inmates looking out through the bars and a guard with Russian rifle, uniform, and boots, Central Asia

Turkmen man posing with camel loaded with sacks, probably of grain or cotton, Central Asia

Khan of the Russian protectorate of Khorezm (Khiva), in uniform, seated on chair, outdoors

Emir of BukharaRussianEmpire1910

Emir of BukharaRussianEmpire1910

Bashkir switchman

Two prisoners in shacklesRussianEmpire1910

Two prisoners in shackles

Two prisoners in shacklesRussianEmpire1910

Doctors. Samarkand

Doctors. Samarkand

Water pipe. Samarkand

Water pipe. Samarkand

Kush-Beggi (Minister of the Interior). Bukhara

Kush-Beggi (Minister of the Interior). Bukhara

Camel caravan carrying thorns for fodder. Golodnaia Steppe

Camel caravan carrying thorns for fodder. Golodnaia Steppe

Two prisoners in shacklesRussianEmpire1910

Two prisoners in shacklesRussianEmpire1910

Fat sheep. Golodnaia Steppe

Fat sheep. Golodnaia Steppe

At work on the upper reaches of the Syr-Darya. Golodnaia Steppe

At work on the upper reaches of the Syr-Darya. Golodnaia Steppe

Bukhara bureaucrat. Bukhara

Bukhara bureaucrat. Bukhara

Elderly Sart man (Babaika), Samarkand

Elderly Sart man (Babaika), Samarkand

Sart woman. Samarkand

Sart woman. Samarkand

Policeman in Samarkand

Policeman in Samarkand

Sart woman. Samarkand

Sart woman. Samarkand

SamarkandRussianEmpire1910

Group of Jewish children with a teacher. Samarkand

Group of Jewish children with a teacher. Samarkand

Fruit stand. Samarkand

Fruit stand. Samarkand

Kebab restaurant. Samarkand

Kebab restaurant. Samarkand

Kebab restaurant. Samarkand

Kebab restaurant. Samarkand

Samarkand

Melon vendor. Samarkand

Melon vendor. Samarkand

Dagestani types

Dagestani types

Beggars. Samarkand

Beggars. Samarkand

Dagestani types

Dagestani types

Dagestani types

Dagestan

Dagestani types

Dagestani types

Packaging department. Borzhom

Packaging department. Borzhom

Evgenievsky spring. Borzhom

Evgenievsky spring. Borzhom

Distributing of water. Borzhom

Distributing of water. Borzhom

Mugan. Settler's family. Settlement of Grafovka

Mugan. Settler’s family. Settlement of Grafovka

Ekaterininsky spring. Borzhom

Ekaterininsky spring. Borzhom

Bashkir woman in a folk costume

Bashkir woman in a folk costume

Armenian woman in national costume, Artvin

Armenian woman in national costume, Artvin

Armenian women in holiday attire

Armenian women in holiday attire

Armenian women in holiday attire

Armenian women in holiday attire

Mullah with his female students near the Artomelinskaia mosque in Artvin

Mullah with his female students near the Artomelinskaia mosque in Artvin

Kurd woman with children

Kurd woman with children

Three generations. A.P. Kalganov with son and granddaughter. The last two work in the shops of the Zlatoust plant

Three generations. A.P. Kalganov with son and granddaughter. The last two work in the shops of the Zlatoust plant

Group of railroad construction participantsRussianEmpire1910

Mullahs in mosque. Aziziia. Batum

Group of railroad construction participantsRussianEmpire1910

Ostrechiny. Study.RussianEmpire1910

Ukraine

Ostrechiny. Study.RussianEmpire1910

Ostrechiny.

Crew of the steamship Sheksna of the M.P.S.

Crew of the steamship Sheksna of the M.P.S.

RussianEmpire1910

 

Via: Library of Congress

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