Silent movie sirens have come back into the spotlight in a series of stunning colourised portraits.
The original black and white photographs were expertly colourised by artist Matt Loughrey, of My Colorful Past, which is based in Westport, Ireland.
‘These are the faces of the motion picture, the advent of the moving image on the big screen,’ Mr Loughrey, 39, said. ‘These are expertly taken portraits, of people that defined the moving image as an entertainment medium.
‘There’s something about glass negatives that makes them superior in tone, often far more arresting than the results achieved with the modern camera. All of the while I think the people that feature warranted being seen in colour as a reminder that truth and justice were always sought.’
Mr Loughrey said he added colour to the images using WACOM Mobile Studio Pro as well as a dedicated algorithm written specifically in order to colourise textured materials.
The original black and white photographs were expertly colorized by artist Matt Loughrey. Pictured, Theda Bara, one of the most popular actresses of the silent era
Theda Bara
This actress is considered by many to be the original ‘Vamp’ thanks to her sexually dominating roles. She is one of the most famous silent film stars to ever live – she never appeared in a sound production – with a peak between 1914 and 1919. Some of her best-known films include A Fool There Was and The Devil’s Daughter.
She made more than 40 films between 1914 and 1926, but most were lost in the 1937 Fox vault fire.
Matt Loughrey’s colorized portrait of the star was originally taken while Bara was taking on the role of the eponymous character in Carmen, a now lost Raoul Walsh film released in 1915.
Annette Benson (pictured), a leading lady in 1920s British silent films, was also colourised
Annette Benson
This British star of the silent era had her peak in the 1920s, with roles in films such as Anthony Asquith’s Shooting Stars and Confetti.
Benson’s career tailed off with the arrival of sound film and she made her last screen appearance in 1931.
Her picture features her role of Mae Feather in Shooting Stars, a wife who plots to murder her husband in order to run off to Hollywood with her lover.
‘I think all aspects of history deserve to be highlighted better,’ the artist said. Pictured, Jacqueline Logan
Jacqueline Logan
This Texas native worked a reporter before she got her start on Broadway and later transitioned onto the screen, where she was best known as the star of Footloose Widows and The King of Kings.
Evelyn Nesbit, an actress and model whose face was everywhere in the early 20th century
Evelyn Nesbit
In the early 1900s, Evelyn Nesbit was one of the most in-demand models in New York, appearing on magazine covers and seeing her likeness plastered on everything from postcards to sheet music.
From there, the transition into chorus girl and actress was an easy one, starring in a number of silent films between 1914 and 1922.
The portrait of Nesbit included in the collection was taken in her modelling days in 1903 by famed photographer at the time, Gertrude Käsebier.
A portrait of Norma Talmadge, a silver screen icon in the early 1920s, is part of the collection
Mr Loughrey, of My Colorful Past, which is based in Westport, Ireland, called the images a ‘telling of creativity, aspirations and performance.’ Pictured, Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge
With a peak lasting more than a decade, Norma Talmadge was one of the biggest film icons of the 1920s. She starred in dozens of films, including box office smashes like Smilin’ Through and The Lady. Her younger sister, Constance Talmadge, was also a film star.
She only produced two so-called ‘talkies’ but they weren’t welcomed with much success, leading her to retire from film in 1930.
In the portrait series, Talmadge is seen in one image as she was in 1928’s The Woman Disputed, which was her final silent film.
Mr Loughrey said he added colour to the images using WACOM Mobile Studio Pro as well as a dedicated algorithm. Pictured, Ina Claire
Ina Claire
With an early start in vaudeville, Ina became known as not only a blonde beauty, but a comedic artist.
Making her film debut in 1915 with The Wild Goose Chase, Ina’s career spanned all the way to 1940s, with her best known role being the Duchess in Ninotchka, in which she starred opposite Greta Garbo.
Mary Pickford, one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Mary Pickford
On top of being known as ‘America’s Sweetheart’ and ‘Queen of the Movies’ for her many successful roles on screen, Mary Pickford was a trailblazer in the film industry.
She founded the Pickford-Fairbanks Studio and the United Artists film studio as well as becoming one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
She is seen in the portrait series lying on a wood floor in a green dress, with her curls cascading down her shoulders in a scene from Tess of the Storm Country.
‘History can be revealed and that is exactly what the ‘My Colorful Past’ project is about, it quite literally changes perceptions for those that see it,’ the artist added. Pictured, Louise Beaudet
Louise Beaudet
Starring in an incredible 66 silent films, Louise Beaudet’s career as an actress, singer and dancer spanned five decades.
Beaudet’s last appearance on screen came in 1926 at the age of 67 although she continued to perform in Broadway and theatre until 1934.
Mr Loughrey’s chosen portrait of Beaudet shows her in a promotional shot from back in 1891, around the time she was starring in a number of operas.
Other striking shots show ‘The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips’ Mae Murray (pictured)
Mae Murray
Known as The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips, Mae Murray was a stage actress before she made her film debut with To Have and to Hold in 1916.
She quickly rocketed to fame and was even at one point the highest-earning actress in all of Hollywood.
She hit her peak in the early 1920s, but moved into decline when sound productions became popular.
With a shot taken in 1913, the portait series image sees the starlet just before silent film launched her into cinematic history books.