Between 1909 and 1915, Russian photographer/chemist Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii traveled across his homeland, using the relatively new technology of color photography to document what he saw. Outfitting a private train car with his own dark room equipment, Prokudin-Gorskii captured landscapes, buildings, and people in a series of breathtaking images. Given the rarity of vibrant color photography from this era, Prokudin-Gorskii’s work is all the more striking: Without sepia tones’ time-distancing effects, the characters in these images feel right there, full of stories of a bygone era and a diverse, colorful culture on the brink of revolution.
Posted by: Todd Goldstein // Twitter: @armsongs
These aren’t just good they are incredible. The fact that he was able to get that color quality, with the images being that clear and sharp too. Incredible.
These are gorgeous. So authentic; and so hard to replicate the effect (as hard as we seem to try these days).
This quite simply boggles my mind. I love it when that happens. Thanks!
That bro in the blue coat holding sword kinda looks like Action Bronson.
Awesome post man.
What would be the ‘the relatively new technology of color photography’? Is it Mamiya RZ?
So crispy clear.
The complete collection, hi-res! http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?sp=1&co=prok&st=grid
Photo #10 is from my town – Kostroma. The church has not changed. As well as the historical center.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Church_of_the_Resurrection_%28Kostroma%29_01.jpg?uselang=ru
reminds me of albert kahn’s expeditions
You are so interesting! I do not believe I’ve read through something like this before. So nice to discover another person with a few genuine thoughts on this subject. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the web, someone with a little originality!