Kids under an umbrella, Fitz Guerin, ca 1890s colorized by Alex Y. Lim

Undated photo part of Fitz Querin's photo anciennes collection from various online sources. Named it based on the photo context which is a studio shot using painted canvass backdrops that his photos as known for.

Girl with dove, Gitz Guerin, ca 1890s colorized by Alex Y.Lim

Undated photo by Fitz Guerin, part of his photo ancienne collections downloaded from several online  sites. 

"Salvation"

Vintage photo of a woman holding on to the cross from the waves about to engulf her.  Colorized from a photo by Fitz W. Guern ca 1890 or earlier.  This was another studio shot using painted backdrops as Guerin is famous for.  Used some creative liberties to composite real waves, sky, rocks and the wood ruins of a structure on which the lady stood.  This may have been inspired by paintings of the Noah Flood waters reaching mountain tops teeming with people, this time using Christian symbol of salvation.

Photo of an unknown lady by Fitz W Guerin colorized by Alex Y. Lim

Colorized photo of an unknown lady by Fitz W Guerin (1846 - 1903) taken ca 1890 or earlier.  Fitz served during the American Civil war and when he returned home, took up photography with most of his works centered on studio shots using backdrops painted with sceneries.

Mother and her Children, colorized from a photo by Ftiz Guerin ca 1890s

Fitz W. Guerin (1846-1903) a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the American Civil War, moved to St. Louis after the war and started learning photography as an assistant to a number of noted pioneer photographers of the time. In 1876 he opened his own studio and in 1878 he won an award at the 1878 World Fair in Paris and served  several times as the president of the National Photographic Society   Here is his Mother and Children I colorized from an undated photo.  Given his death in 1903, it could have been taken anywhere between 1876 and 1900.

Colorized Young Woman with Grapes and Vines by FW Guerin circa 1900

My second colorized work on the vintage photos of Fitz W. Guerin,

Colorized Fitz Guerin's Lady Libertine 1902

At the other extreme, this vintage portrait invites some gay abandon in colorization thanks to a riotous background and a woman who looks like a Gypsy minus the usual trinkets and the dieting. The vintage photo is from a post-American Civil War veteran Fitz Guerin who took up photography after the war. It was titled "Lady Libertine" one of his so-called metaphorical maidens taken in 1902, just a year before he died. I have no idea what the metaphor was about, but the vintage photo is well-preserved as an excellent specimen for colorization.

This portrait shows a very healthy woman puffing cigarette at a time when the habit was considered unlady-like. (While cigarettes had been hand-rolled even before the civil war, the first commercial mass produced cigarettes appeared in 1881 and cigarette smoking was first advertised for women in 1920). And what is that on her right hand? Looks like an Amarula or a Bailey's Irish cream liquor coffee, one of my favorite beverages that I can no longer afford. With 18% alcohol content, liqueur is stronger than champaigne with just 12% alcohol. This lady certainly knew how to be drunk in style though cheaper. However, It has to be an earlier version, since neither the Amarula nor Bailey's existed prior to 1970.

Fitz Guerin's Lady Libertine is one of the few vintage photos where I have 3 colorized versions. Colorization may be the only luxury I have today when I don't have to decide and make a choice. I just do what I like in as many versions. Well, I lied. I did have to decide that 3 was enough. There are several more colors and I am sure other colorists will have other ideas. Here are the two other more aggressive (garish) variants.