100 years ago there were interesting events happening in the field of sports in the young Republic of Estonia. People learned about new sports, joyful sporting events and competitions were organized all around the country, the first big sporting courses were carried out in Tallinn, and, as the highlight of the whole sporting age of awakening, Estonians also made their independent debut at the Olympic Games that summer. 

An awe-inspiring part of these exciting events has been captured on photos stored at the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum and they have long been available to sports fans. However, there has always been something missing from them – and that something is more than important for following sports. That something is colour. It’s colours that influence our senses and make us notice details that we might not notice otherwise. Colours give us information about the atmosphere at the competition, the mood of the audience, the equipment of the athletes, the quality of the competition venues etc. 

In this exhibition, this shortcoming can be eliminated with the help of modern technology. In the reopening of its renovated building, the museum presents the sports life of a hundred years ago in full colour, using the technique of coloring photographs. 

However, it should also be noted here that, although the color adjustment of the exhibited photographs has been preceded by thorough research, they do not claim absolute authenticity. It's just a playful endeavor that gives us another new perspective on discovering what once happened.

Photos: Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum

Colorization: Kustas Budrikas