Famous faces of the past have been thrust into the 21st century thanks to the work of one Irish artist.
Matt Loughrey, 41, has spent the last four-and-a-half years working on a technology to redefine and colour portraits of some of the world’s most recognisable historical figures.
Working with others to source images, Matt’s self-developed method has brought the likes of Harry Houdini and Jesse James into a more relatable light.
A black and white image of Harry Houdini is just one of the images Matt Loughrey has worked on to bring into new light. His work allows us a glimpse at the escape aritst in ultra-realism ahead of his handcuffed box escape attempt in New York’s east river in 1912.
With pictures of Billy the Kid not only hard to come by but also poor in quality, Matt’s work finally gives us a chance to see the notorious outlaw in his full glory.
William F. Cody, more famously known as Buffulo Bill, was only 15 years old when the original image was taken of him
The historical artist works with museums and libraries to keep these names of the past relevant and he believes his work, which shows portraits in colour and detail never previously realised, is key to keeping characters from the past a relevance in teaching today.
‘We are at a stage where realism really does comes in to effect. I think it allows a very new sense of relatability to our past.
‘I think that’s vital in a world where the image that we’ve come to accept as standard is becoming obsolete owing to the advance in display technology,’ he told MailOnline.
‘When we consider a museum or a library or a documentary, as these displays advance, which they are rapidly, the producers of these are going to be less inclined to display and use these images. They’re going to have to find new images by repurposing them.’
Frank Lee Morris escaped Alcatraz Prison in 1962 with the Anglin brothers. The original image (above left) was taken in 1952, and Matt worked with the nephew of one of the brothers to help bring the picture to life.
This image is widely respected as the first ever recorded portrait picture taken by Dr. John Draper in 1832. The subject of the image is not known.
The image of American Civil War solider Stephen Pollard was originally deemed to be of an ‘unknown soldier’ until he was recognised by great-great-granddaughter. He eventually died in 1899 and Matt is hoping to reunite the new image with his descendants.
Matt, who also helps people repurpose black and white family photos through his company My Colourful Past, has worked with authorities on notorious individuals to ensure the representations are completely accurate.
He worked with historian Steve Jager to ensure the detail on the two portraits of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly – one as a teenager and one later in life – caught the exact details of the notorious outlaw.
‘I reached out to Steve Jager, he’s the authority on all things Ned Kelly,’ said Matt, who works from his home in Westport, Ireland, where he lives with Sarah and his three boys Aaron, Frank and George.
‘We surmised that this is going to be an effective way to repurpose the icon that is Ned. We’ve been working on a project in order to bring these images to Australian audiences.
Matt worked with Ned Kelly authority Steve Jager to catch the likeness of the notorious Australian outlaw
This image of Kelly was taken in 1880, just before his execution. The pictures are being used by Matt and Steve as part of an educational programme in Australia.
‘Steve’s a driving force and made me realise the potential is quite real. His images are a good example of what is possible.’
The process has allowed Matt to bring to life pictures of other iconic faces. Those include an image of Houdini before his handcuffed box escape from New York’s East river in 1912.
There are also mugshots of notorious faces from the Wild West, with Jesse James and Robert Ford seen in a different light, alongside the likes of Billy the Kid and Laura Bullion – a member of Butch Cassidy’s ‘Wild Bunch’ gang.
Matt admits that the 2007 film ‘The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford’, starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, was a huge inspiration for working on their images.
Matt worked on images of both Jesse James and Robert Ford – the man who assassinated the notorious outlaw.
Matt revealed that he took inspiration from the 2007 film ‘The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford’ when working on images of Ford (above) and James
An image of the Irish revolutionary Michael Collins taken from 16mm camera footage shows that it is not just stills Matt can work with. Collins was Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State before his assination in August 1922.
‘It was very wise to choose iconic characters form our past. That’s the method,’ he explained.
‘They all have a very strong link in terms of iconic status and pics that are ingrained in national mindsets.’
It is not just pictures that can be used to bring subjects back to life.
Matt can also work with death masks to bring the likes of Mary Queen of Scots back to life
The death mask of Mary Queen of Scots is another example of what can be used to allow us access to the likeness of some of our most famous historical figures.
‘Mary Queen of Scots was a great example of how far back we can go,’ he added.
‘When you think about the human face and photography you can only go back so far, but with her we can go back 400 years.’
Visit My Colourful Past on Instagram for more images worked on by Matt Loughrey