SPANISH MISSION (1912)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for museums, television & film, print media . . . and families like yours.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

It all started with a simple post from Sheryl on David’s Facebook page: “Color this?”.

“Hey this is Sheryl I posted this picture for David to color…dont you think it would look great? Let him know…”
September 1 at 1:42pm

Joseph W. (Florida): “You do amazing work”.

Roy K. (California): “I know that this pic would look absolutely awesome and fantastic when David gets through with it, and I know this because he’s the best at what he does”.

With that kind of build-up, who could resist? And so, I proceeded to burn the midnight oil as I hovered over my computer keyboard . . .

The year is 1912. The San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura, CA (home of American Photo Colorizing) was founded by Franciscan priest, Junipero Serra in 1782. The first church building was destroyed by fire. Construction on the present church and additional buildings was begun in 1792, and completed in 1809. The dedication ceremony took place on September 9, 1809 – 206 years ago this week.

The church serves as a Catholic Parish to this day – and with its serene gardens and rustic interior – is also a very popular Southern California tourist attraction. The current Pastor is Father Tom Elewaut – a friend of American Photo Colorizing. It never hurts to have friends in high places!

Here is the San Buenaventura Mission as it looks today – fresh and modern, with a white exterior coat.

If you’re in the Los Angeles-Santa Barbara area of Southern California – Ventura is freeway-close along the Ventura Freeway (101 Freeway), or take scenic Pacific Coast Highway north from Santa Monica. Along with the mission, Ventura County boasts some of the top surfing spots in the USA – Surfers Point, Rincon, and Ventura County Line among them. End of tourism commercial.

* Scenic Ventura photos Copyright 2015 by American Photo Colorizing

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA (1874)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for museums, educators, media . . . and families like yours.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

The year is 1874. It’s July 4th in the home of American Photo Colorizing.com – Ventura, California. Ventura, north of Malibu and south of Santa Barbara, is famous for two top surfing spots, The Rincon and Surfers Point. But back in 1874, a mere 141 years ago – the community bore closer resemblance to Tombstone, Arizona and Dodge City, Kansas. One would never imagine that the blue Pacific Ocean is only blocks away, since not one horse or buggy in the photo has a surfboard on top.

Now, here is Ventura today. Many of the old buildings still line Ventura’s downtown streets, but the horse ‘n’ buggies have been replaced by dune buggies and street rods.

QUEEN OF SURF GUITAR (1963)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for television, museums, print media, multi-media . . . and families like yours.

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The year is 1963. Kathy Marshall was only 13 or 14 years-old – but she was jamming onstage with such surf music luminaries as Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, The Crossfires, and Eddie & The Showmen (shown here). Dick Dale claims to have bestowed on her the title “Queen of Surf Guitar”. Surprisingly, Kathy never formed her own group – nor did she ever record professionally. But, those who remember seeing her perform with top local surf bands, say she held her own on stage with the best surf guitarists of the mid-1960s.

As you can see, the original photo was shot in color. However, the color had degraded so much that I had to not only restore the image presence, but it was necessary to add fresh color to it, in order to get the image back to 1963. Now, HERE’S an image befitting a Queen!

THE BEACH BOYS (1962)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog! We colorize black & white photos for museums, educators, media . . . and families like yours.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

Summer is here, and we’re on a Surfin’ Safari back to the year 1962. Here’s a brand new Rock & Roll band from Hawthorne, California in Los Angeles’ South Bay. They call themselves The Beach Boys, and they range in age from 13 to 21.

This photo is from the teen documentary “One Man’s Challenge”, produced by Dale Smallin, and featuring the young Beach Boys performing their song, “Surfin’ Safari” at the Azusa Teen Club.

Due to the nature of the original film we captured the image from – the clarity isn’t pristine. But, what a cool piece of Rock & Roll history!

At American Photo Colorizing, our goal is to shred the black & white veil that separates us from the exciting, vibrant lives of those who came before us. It’s time to “Go Color” with your vintage and antique family photos. Your ancestors are counting on you!

We just can’t stop there . . . and so, we’re making the original video footage available for you – right here . . . right now!

And since American Photo Colorizing’s “Redwood Studio” is just a few blocks from the blue Pacific in the heart of Southern California – we send out a mighty COWABUNGA to all our local Hodads!

GRIZZLY BEAR CHAIR (1865)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog! We colorize black & white photos for museums, media, multi-media, and families like yours. A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

The year is 1865. Presidents have entertained many guests in the White House over the years, but probably none as colorful as California trapper, Indian Fighter, musician, and chair maker, Seth Kinman. Presidents James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Rutherford B. Hayes were each honored with one of Kinsman’s unique chairs made of elkhorns and grizzly bear skins.

This September 1865 photograph by Matthew Brady, shows Seth Kinman seated in a grizzly bear chair at the White House. This chair, presented to President Andrew Johnson, had a very unusual added feature. By touching a cord, the head of the grizzly bear would dart out from under the seat, and gnash its teeth. Color certainly makes this grizzly appear more alive – as if the gnashing teeth wouldn’t be a convincer. You won’t find anything like this at Ikea.

SINGING BELL RINGER (CHRISTMAS 2014)

Welcome to American Photo Colorizing.com’s photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for museums, media, multi-media, and families like yours.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

It’s “Throw It Back Thursday” here at the American Photo Colorizing Blog. Last year about this time, we gave you an added extra – and I thought it would be cool to revisit this special blog post. Along with our usual Before & After Colorized Photo – we have a video of a special person. He’s the kind of guy who just seems to spread a whole lot of joy wherever he goes.

His name is Jonathan, and he’s a singing bell ringer for the Salvation Army. We found Jonathan set up in front of the Vons Supermarket at Victoria and Telegraph in Ventura, California. From across the parking lot drifted this wonderful pop Christmas singing. Turned out, it came from Jonathan, a 25 year-old fellow from Santa Paula. We loved his renditions so much, we wanted to share them with you. If you live anywhere in the Ventura County area, come let Jonathan entertain you, and drop something in his kettle to help the less fortunate. Now, here’s Jonathan The Singing Bell Ringer. Cheers!

And now, for the photo colorizing fans among you – which seems to be just about everybody – here are some color corrected & colorized 1960s slides of Plymouth Massachusetts. Plymouth was home to a group of Christian Separatists from England, known as the Pilgrims – and the Wampanoags, who, under Chief Massasoit, befriended them, ensuring their survival in the New World. The original homes of such notable Pilgrims as Miles Standish, William Brewster, John Alden & Priscilla Mullins Alden still stand today, across Plymouth Harbor, in the village of Duxbury – as does the home of guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith, though to the best of my knowledge he wasn’t a Pilgrim. Duxbury was also home to yours truly, for three of my “wonder years”. Southern Massachusetts is brimming with early-American History . . . and features some of the best beaches on the East Coast – including Cape Cod. I do recommend you wait until summer to go water skiing.

MAYFLOWER 2 AT PLYMOUTH

PLIMOUTH PLANTATION

Christmas will sneak up on you before you know it. It isn’t too early to start looking through your family photo collection. A beautifully-colorized image of your ancestors (suitable for enlarging and framing) makes a wonderful keepsake for the entire family. This year, “Give the Christmas Present of Christmas Past!”

CALIFORNIA GIANT REDWOODS (1890)

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The year is 1890 – and will you just look at the size of this California Redwood in the forests of Del Norte County. These are a couple of brave (or crazy) men. And it just occurred to me . . . if the Redwood is this huge – how big are the termites?

We colorize black & white photos for museums, media, multi-media, and families like yours. Our online Photo Gallery features 100s of colorized vintage images available for purchase. It’s time to “Go Color” . . . Your ancestors are counting on you!

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

BUILT FOR SPEED (1950)

Welcome to American Photo Colorizing .com’s photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for museums, media, multi-media, and families like yours. Our online Photo Gallery features 100s of colorized vintage images available for purchase.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

The year is 1950 – and this is the city . . . Los Angeles, California (that line’s from “Dragnet” for all the youngsters). Once upon a time this was some family’s 1934 Ford. But in 1950, it was the fastest set of wheels on West Jefferson Boulevard, in the City of Angels.

CALIFORNIA’S “RINCON” (1912)

Welcome to American Photo Colorizing .com’s photo blog,.We colorize black & white photos for museums, media, multi-media, and families like yours. Our online Photo Gallery features 100s of colorized vintage images available for purchase. Contact us for quantity-based.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

The year is 1912. ‘Horseless Carriages’ cruise onto a boardwalk along Southern California’s now famous surfin’ spot, “Rincon”. Today, Amtrak commuter trains hug the coastline, and the Ventura Freeway aka Route 101 winds it’s way along those very same cliffs.

This scene is located between Ventura and Santa Barbara – a 10 minute drive from American Photo Colorizing.com’s studio. Another popular surf spot, “Surfers Point”, is just a couple miles south of The Rincon.

ANACAPA HOTEL – VENTURA, CA (1898)

Welcome to the American Photo Colorizing.com photo blog. We colorize black & white photos for museums, educators, media . . . and families like yours.

A visit to our website gets you started: http://www.americanphotocolorizing.com

The year is 1898. Welcome to the Anacapa Hotel in Ventura, California – home of American Photo Colorizing.com. Enjoy it while you can. The hotel won’t be around in 2014. In fact the building was torn down during the Great Depression. Today, the corner of Main Street & Palm is a downtown parking lot – and for a number of years it boasted Top Hat – a hot dog shack the size of a photo booth. Top Hat is now in midtown, if you’re coming to Ventura for a day of surfing.

At American Photo Colorizing, our goal is to shred the black & white veil that separates us from the exciting, vibrant lives of those who came before us. It’s time to “Go Color” with your vintage and antique family photos.

MAIN STREET & PALM – NOT ALL THAT LONG AGO