By the pond in Reykjavík, 10 April 1956. Photo: Adolf Karlsson

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Although the first colour photographs taken in Iceland, as far as we know, were taken in 1901, it wasn't until the mid-20th century that colour photography caught on. The black-and-white world that can be seen in pictures until that time is an illusion. Life was undoubtedly in colour, the clothes colourful, the cars turquoise, burgundy, even yellow, red or green roofs – the sky all kinds of blue! The colour palette of the time is ever-changing, shaped by fashion, technology, memories and zeitgeist, even by the medium itself. 

"The black-and-white world that can be seen in pictures until that time is an illusion."

The exhibition includes 130 new enlargements from original colour films and colour slides. The photos belong to the museum's collection and are taken by Icelandic and foreign photographers.

The photos in the exhibition are taken by: Adolf Karlsson, Andrés Kolbeinsson, Anna Þórhallsdóttir, Böðvar Pétursson, Elías Hannesson, Eyjólfur Halldórsson, Guðmundur Guðjónsson, Guðmundur Hjörleifsson, Guðmundur Jóhannsson, Gunnar Ólafsson, Gunnar Rúnar Ólafsson, Hannes Pálsson, Haraldur Jóhannsson, Helga Fietz, Hermann Schlenker, Hermann Þorsteinsson, Hörður Ragnarsson, Ingibjörg Magnúsdóttir, Ingibjörg Ólafsdóttir, Kári Jónasson, Lilý Guðrún Tryggvadóttir, Magnús Daníelsson, María Finnsdóttir, Óli Páll Kristjánsson, Peter Kidson, Sigurður Demetz Franzson, Sigurður Úlfarsson, Sigurhans Vignir, Svanur Karlsson and Valdimar R. Jónsson.

And now in full colour!│Colour photographs from the museum's collection, 1950-1970

Colour photos from 1950-1970, when colour photography began to take root in Iceland, are the subject of the Reykjavík Museum of Photography summer exhibition in 2023.

And now in full col­our!│­Col­our pho­to­graphs from the mu­seum's col­lec­tion, 1950-1970

Colour photos from 1950-1970, when colour photography began to take root in Iceland, are the subject of the Reykjavík Museum of Photography summer exhibition in 2023.

And now in full colour!│Colour photographs from the museum's collection, 1950-1970