Extraordinary colour photographs from 1909 and 1912 of the Russian Empire

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

With images from southern and central Russia in the news lately due to extensive wildfires, I thought it would be interesting to look back in time with this extraordinary collection of color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912. In those years, photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images. The high quality of the images, combined with the bright colors, make it difficult for viewers to believe that they are looking 100 years back in time - when these photographs were taken, neither the Russian Revolution nor World War I had yet begun. Collected here are a few of the hundreds of color images made available by the Library of Congress, which purchased the original glass plates back in 1948.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html

[Sus_pilot]

Those are remarkable photos, both in composition and technical achievement. In only one (children sitting) did I see any real issues with the registration of the images. The shots with water had some issues, but the reflections weren't objectionable.

I'm really surprised, when looking at the close-ups, that there weren't issues with the eyes shifting during the exposures. 

[Jason Thompson]

Those are incredible pictures. I have actually seen people who don't believe they are genuinely from that time because of the incredible resolution. Of course, try explaining to them that in those days they were using large glass plates and not 35 or 16 mm film and it goes waaaaay over their heads....

[Andromeda]

Stunning.  The richness of detail is amazing.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

I have actually seen people who don't believe they are genuinely from that time because of the incredible resolution.

You mean the inhabitants of DavidIcke.com's forums? Just a guess 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

I think no 28 is the most stand out of the lot. The blue robes are simply stunning.

[Sus_pilot]

Those are incredible pictures. I have actually seen people who don't believe they are genuinely from that time because of the incredible resolution. Of course, try explaining to them that in those days they were using large glass plates and not 35 or 16 mm film and it goes waaaaay over their heads....

No indication in the article;  4x5 or (I think more likely) 8x10?

[Halcyon Dayz, FCD]

I think no 28 is the most stand out of the lot. The blue robes are simply stunning.

Which gets us our link with space travel.
Space-travellers returning via Kazakhstan, which is culturally related to Uzbekistan, receive these gorgeous embroidered greatcoats.
And fancy hats if male.

Those are incredible pictures. I have actually seen people who don't believe they are genuinely from that time because of the incredible resolution. Of course, try explaining to them that in those days they were using large glass plates and not 35 or 16 mm film and it goes waaaaay over their heads....

No indication in the article;  4x5 or (I think more likely) 8x10?

The Wikipedia article on Prokudin-Gorsky says: The most common model used a single oblong plate 9 cm wide by 24 cm high.
I suppose that means all three exposures are on the same plate.

The article also states that these have been digitally tweaked to get the best possible images.

[ka9q]

Yeah, the Library of Congress had to spend a lot of time on those pictures to get them to register properly. They probably didn't look anywhere near that good when they were first shown.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Which gets us our link with space travel.

You spotted the connection. High five.

[Tedward]

Those are indeed amazing.