But we have now used technology to add a dash colour to these historic pictures of Sheffied, all taken before 1970, to transform images of how the city once looked in the days before colour photography was common.
Earlier this month, we applied a computer program to an initial 15 photographs to bring them into the age of colour. And now we have done the same for 16 more pictures, drawing on artificial intelligence to transform the pictures dating from the early days of the 20th century, up to 1960.
The technology has worked better on some of the pictures than others. But we hope it brings some new life to them and helps today’s audience see Sheffield in colour, hopefully close to how it would have looked to those who saw the places and events in pictures as they happened all those years ago.
The technology has worked better on some of the pictures than others. But we hope it brings some new life to them and helps today’s audience see Sheffield in colour, hopefully close to how it would have looked to those who saw the places and events in pictures as they happened all those years ago.
![A rally at Sheffield City Hall in 1947. The computer AI added colour to the picture](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjk4NmI0MzQ4LWQ5NDAtNDQ4YS05YjUzLWUyYmI1OWE3NGIxNTo0MDE5NDBhYi01NDc5LTQ0ZmQtYWY2Mi05NTc2NWRlMjEyOWQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=645)
5. City Hall rally
A rally at Sheffield City Hall in 1947. The computer AI added colour to the picture Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
![This colourised view shows High Street from the opposite direction, in 1905](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmExMjZlYjdhLTFiNzUtNGVmOS1hYjM5LWQ1NzVjYzQ4MWQyNDowMGI1ODdmNy1hOGMxLTQzMjEtYTVmYS1iN2MzZmFjYWIxMDU=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=762)
6. High Street 1905
This colourised view shows High Street from the opposite direction, in 1905 Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
![The colourised picture shows Sheffield Central Library under construction in the 1930s](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjYzMTVjZjY3LWRjOTItNDc0ZS04Yjc4LTBkMzg0NTI2MWRjMTo0Zjk2OTU4YS1hZGU3LTQwYmUtODBhMy0yMzgwZTYwZGZkNjA=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=641)
7. Central Libray
The colourised picture shows Sheffield Central Library under construction in the 1930s Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
![Rescue teams make injured survivors comfortable after the Sheffield Blitz of 1940. the picture has been coloured using computers and artificial intelligence](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjJjMjNkNDRiLTlhZTEtNDJjNy04OGZiLTVkNDhmZGE2NGE2YTo5ZGY2ZGIxNS04OWI5LTRkOTMtOWI5YS05ODkwMDcyYzk4NTI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=645)
8. Sheffield Blitz
Rescue teams make injured survivors comfortable after the Sheffield Blitz of 1940. the picture has been coloured using computers and artificial intelligence Photo: Sheffield Newspapers