Sometimes black and white gives photography an artistic look, and phony colorization does nothing but ruin this (this is especially the case in movies!)

But in the case of less artistic photos – journalistic shots and portraits for instance – if a photo is properly colorized, it can bring on a whole new life. It can really bring you back to that time a lot better than a black and white photo can.

The following are a collection of 9 amazing examples of colorized photos. They are all done by the Reddit user mygrapefruit, who spends a lot of time colorizing family photos for people over on /r/picrequests/. So if you have an old photo of a loved one, maybe he’ll fix it up for you in exchange for some Reddit karma!

For now, check out these awesome photos of famous people and events:

01) Charles Darwin

One of the most important humans to have ever existed on this planet, and a personal favourite of mine ;) You can read more about Darwin here, in case you didn’t know who he was (I imagine there are some people who deny his existence).

02) Abraham Lincoln

This one goes without saying. We are so used to seeing Abe looking somewhat morbid, all in black with a big black top hat. But believe it or not, people wore colored clothing back then!

03) Operation Crossroads

Operation Crossroads were a series of tests to see how effective atomic bombs would be in naval battle. The atomic test pictures are what created the ‘mushroom cloud’ image that has been ingrained in our brains forever since then, so it’s cool to see one of the originals in full color.

04) Mark Twain

What more needs to be said about Mark Twain, the father of American literature? This was actually a brilliant portrait in black and white, and I think it worked well without being colorized.

05) Charlie Chaplin

If you haven’t seen his movies, I suggest checking them out whenever you can. The comedy works to this day. They are actually being restored and released on Blu-Ray, so check them out. I just watched the 1942 version of 1925′s The Gold Rush with my wife a short time ago, and we both enjoyed it greatly.

06) Burning Monk

When Thich Quang Duc burned himself to raise awareness of the repression against Buddhists taking place in South Vietname in the 60′s, he caught the world’s attention immediately. Eventually, concessions were made to the Buddhists, which also allowed US relations to South Vietnam to continue…

07) Battle of Gettysburg

This photo was taken in 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is titled The Harvest of Death, and was Timothy H. O’Sullivan’s most famous photo.

08) Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was an interesting man to say the least. His life story is legendary, from his days as a true COWBOY, up to leading the ROUGH RIDERS during the war in Cuba, all the way to becoming US President in the early 1900′s where he kept a pet one-legged rooster at the White House. Here he is holding his grandson KERMIT JUNIOR. Yes, Theo had a son named Kermit, who liked the name so much, he named his son Kermit Jr.

09) Attack on Pearl Harbor

WW2 footage always fascinates me, and it’s even more intriguing to see it in color. I guess that’s why I enjoy Ken Burns’ documentaries so much.