Many individuals imagine old black and white images when they think of any time period before the advent of commonplace color photography in the mid-1960s. Let's face it: Our planet turned color right around the same time Technicolor was created (and I'm not referring to the dreamcoat, that came later). Mental_floss, however, reports on the addition of nearly two thousand color images to the Library of Congress Flickr page, all taken in the 1930s and 1940s.

These photographs were taken by Farm Security Administration photographers (famous for producing many iconic images from the Great Depression), as well as Office of War Information photographers. These passionate photographers traveled around the country photographing daily American life, something that most observers thought was a waste of money. Their creations, however, have spoken more about life during this time period than any text can communicate.

These photographs, due to the fact that they're in color, seem to make the time period come alive. I personally can't overcome how beautiful these images are, and the muted saturation that the color film used for these photographs creates makes these photographs even more unique. Though I recently had to sell off my film equipment for the money, I'd take a fifty-year-old rangefinder over a top-of-the-line DSLR any day.

The detail and clarity in these photographs is also worth noting. In a sense, these photographs are timeless. The photograph of the crane operator below, for example, looks just like something one would find over at Strobist. These images also speak wonders about the quality of the cameras and optics made during this time. Optics these days, even on the most expensive lenses, just don't seem to have quite the same personality that many classic lenses are known for. 

These photographs ultimately paint a picture of wartime America that many Americans fail to appreciate and understand. The individuals in these photos weren't just distant grayscale ancestors. They were genuine human beings, just like everyone on our small planet. And though black and white photography has the ability to inspire, the degree of realism that color adds to these photographs creates depth beyond words.