Fully colorized video of Paris in 1896

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18 points·mimixco··7 comments

Length: 5:58

I watched the whole thing.

Not only has this archival footage been rendered in full color, but it's also been speed-restored and matched with its original sound.

It's really hard to believe the sound is original. I'm not saying it's untrue. I'm just saying it is literally incredible.

It captures a different pace of life. It's surprisingly calm, polite and quiet for a bustling major metro area.

I was surprised by that too. The original/linked YouTube video's description says that the sound was added, not restored:

"A collection of high quality remastered prints from the dawn of film taken in Belle Époque-era Paris, France from 1896-1900. Slowed down footage to a natural rate, added in ambiance sound, and colorized. These films were taken by the Lumière company."

Thanks.

We're so used to seeing things like this only in movies that it's hard to believe it's real!

Several things caught my eye[1], but the moving sidewalk/footpath was a surprise to me: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_walkway

[1] horse drawn fire brigade, difficulty of crossing the busy road, sitting high-up on a carriage (safety nightmare)

Surreal! HN'ers will esp love the moving sidewalk at the World's Fair at 4:49 into the video.

Back when BMI charts mapped to 99% of the population.

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