Picture sources
Every photograph, document and map published on LIVE WW2, listed under the day it appeared, with its creator, source archive, licence and a note of how it has been altered.
Images are sourced from public archives and reproduced under public domain status or an open licence. Where a photograph has been colourised or restored, that is stated below. Colourisation is done with AI tools from the original black-and-white photograph; no image on this site is AI-generated, and none has had its content altered.
If you hold rights in an image published here and believe it should not be, write to liveww2@chronosfm.com and it will be taken down while the question is settled.
Day 16Saturday 16 September 1939Read the day →
- The day in pictures
Warsaw and Kutno as the two sides describe them, 16 September 1939. Graphic by LIVE WW2.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
Day 15Friday 15 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
The Polish submarine Orzel at her launch, Vlissingen, January 1938. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: Estonia interns the Orzeł
- Creator
- Unknown; photographic studio N.V. Vereenigde Fotobureaux, Amsterdam
- Source
- audiovis.nac.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Cordell Hull, Washington, 1938 or 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Hull says the United States has given up no neutral right
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (United States)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Shoppers queue outside a clothing shop on Swietokrzyska Street, Warsaw, in August 1939, before the war. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: Berlin's claim that the ring around Warsaw is closed reaches the agencies
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
The Polish submarine Orzel at her launch, Vlissingen, January 1938. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown; photographic studio N.V. Vereenigde Fotobureaux, Amsterdam
- Source
- audiovis.nac.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Cordell Hull, Washington, 1938 or 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (United States)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Shoppers queue outside a clothing shop on Swietokrzyska Street, Warsaw, in August 1939, before the war. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 14Thursday 14 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
The Gdynia claim, 14 September 1939. Graphic by LIVE WW2.
Published with: Three hours on, Berlin's account of Gdynia is the only one there is
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- Dispatch
Neville Chamberlain, photographed between 1915 and 1920. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Chamberlain: Britain will not attack civilians for terror, so long as Germany shows the same restraint
- Creator
- Bain News Service
- Source
- hdl.loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph, using a non-generative colouriser (DDColor).
- Dispatch
The Houses of Parliament from across the Thames, London, about 1890. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Commons gives the Minister of Labor a veto on the hiring of key workers, 223 to one
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Scotland's evacuation, as Colville told the Commons, 14 September 1939. Graphic by LIVE WW2.
Published with: Colville puts Scotland's evacuees at 175,000 and will not say how many have gone home
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- Dispatch
Senator William Borah of Idaho, Washington, 1938. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The embargo fight opens on the radio tonight, a week before Congress meets
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- hdl.loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (United States)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph, using a non-generative colouriser (DDColor).
- The day in pictures
Neville Chamberlain, photographed between 1915 and 1920. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Bain News Service
- Source
- hdl.loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph, using a non-generative colouriser (DDColor).
- The day in pictures
The Houses of Parliament from across the Thames, London, about 1890. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Senator William Borah of Idaho, Washington, 1938. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- hdl.loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (United States)
- Modification
- Colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph, using a non-generative colouriser (DDColor).
- The day in pictures
The Gdynia claim, 14 September 1939. Graphic by LIVE WW2.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Scotland's evacuation, as Colville told the Commons, 14 September 1939. Graphic by LIVE WW2.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
Day 13Wednesday 13 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Civilian cars await military registration, Warsaw, August 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: Poland's claims from yesterday still stand, and nothing has come in to test them
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
German tanks halted on a sand track near Płudkowice, 11 September 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: Berlin says the ring around Warsaw was closed in the east yesterday
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
A newspaper vendor carries late war news in Whitehall, London, 7 September 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Between 19.52 and 01.55, the news was released, withdrawn, seized and released again
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Parliament Hill during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Ottawa, 1927. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: Ottawa's supply bill has Royal Assent, but nobody has been appointed to run it
- Creator
- Unknown
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Civilian cars await military registration, Warsaw, August 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
German tanks halted on a sand track near Płudkowice, 11 September 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
A newspaper vendor carries late war news in Whitehall, London, 7 September 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Parliament Hill during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Ottawa, 1927. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 12Tuesday 12 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Polish civilians leave their towns on foot, September 1939. Colourised from a photograph reproduced in Jerzy Piórkowski's Miasto Nieujarzmione, Warsaw, 1957.
Published with: A traveller out of Poland reaches Riga
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
A bombed Polish armoured train at Łochów. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: Poland says the Germans are falling back from Warsaw. Berlin says the ring is closing.
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Franciscan sisters dig air-raid trenches on Wały Mościckiego, Lwów. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: Lwów radio says the city is digging trenches; Berlin claims an advance towards it
- Creator
- Oberhard L.
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
J. L. Ilsley's Budget Speech presents the government's financial proposals to the House of Commons, Government of Canada. Reproduced from Government of Canada Publications.
Published with: Ilsley puts a 20 per cent surtax on income tax and a new tax on excess profits
- Creator
- Government of Canada
- Source
- publications.gc.ca
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- The day in pictures
Polish civilians leave their towns on foot. September 1939. Colourised from a photograph reproduced in Jerzy Piórkowski's Miasto Nieujarzmione, Warsaw, 1957.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
A bombed Polish armoured train at Łochów. 10 September 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Franciscan sisters dig air-raid trenches on Wały Mościckiego, Lwów. August 1939. Colourised from original National Digital Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Oberhard L.
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
J. L. Ilsley's Budget Speech presents the government's financial proposals to the House of Commons. 12 September 1939. Government of Canada. Reproduced from Government of Canada Publications.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Government of Canada
- Source
- publications.gc.ca
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
Day 11Monday 11 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Goods yards and wharves at Darling Harbour, Sydney. Colourised from original City of Sydney Archives photograph.
Published with: Overseas freight rates raised 25 per cent in Sydney
- Creator
- Adam Forrest Grant
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Members of the House of Commons in session, Ottawa. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: Ottawa asks for $100 million and at least forty thousand men
- Creator
- Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The United States Embassy chancery, Warsaw. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Three radio accounts of Warsaw disagree, and none came from inside the city
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Goods yards and wharves at Darling Harbour, Sydney. City of Sydney Archives, 1932. Colourised from original City of Sydney Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Adam Forrest Grant
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Members of the House of Commons in session, Ottawa. 10 March 1938. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
The United States Embassy chancery, Warsaw. 1 September 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 10Sunday 10 September 1939Read the day →
- DispatchShareAlike
Fires burning in Warsaw, photographed from the air. German Federal Archives, dated to September 1939; the exact day is not recorded. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: Berlin says its troops pulled back from central Warsaw to the outskirts
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
- Dispatch
John Curtin, Leader of the Opposition. Portrait, 1938. Colourised from original National Library of Australia photograph.
Published with: Curtin says Labor will not support conscription for overseas service
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The proclamation declaring a state of war with the German Reich, with the Great Seal of Canada. Published in a special Extra edition of the Canada Gazette, Ottawa, 10 September 1939.
Published with: The proclamation: a state of war exists
- Creator
- Government of Canada
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- The day in picturesShareAlike
Fires burning in Warsaw, photographed from the air. German Federal Archives, dated to September 1939; the exact day is not recorded. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
- The day in pictures
John Curtin, Leader of the Opposition. Portrait, 1938. Colourised from original National Library of Australia photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
The proclamation declaring a state of war with the German Reich, with the Great Seal of Canada. Published in a special Extra edition of the Canada Gazette, Ottawa, 10 September 1939.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Government of Canada
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
Day 9Saturday 9 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Cabinet ministers sit before radio microphones, Ottawa. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: Canadian Commons resumes; King says adoption of the Address opens the way
- Creator
- National Film Board of Canada
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral above the riverfront, Moscow, photographed in 1935. Colourised from original Trondheim byarkiv photograph.
Published with: Moscow calls up reserve classes; TASS cites the war's menacing character
- Creator
- Eirik Sundvor
- Source
- flickr.com
- Licence
- cc-by-2.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
97 British merchant ships sheltered at Gibraltar after the declaration. Thirty sailed today. Graphic by LIVE WW2, from Associated Press reporting.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral above the riverfront, Moscow, photographed in 1935. Colourised from original Trondheim byarkiv photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Eirik Sundvor
- Source
- flickr.com
- Licence
- cc-by-2.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Cabinet ministers sit before radio microphones, Ottawa. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- National Film Board of Canada
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 8Friday 8 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
The two statements about Warsaw, and the three hours and twenty minutes between them. Nothing independent has been established in that gap.
Published with: Berlin says its armoured troops have entered Warsaw
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- Dispatch
Radio press equipment set up inside the White House, Washington, photographed in 1938 or 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Roosevelt proclaims a limited national emergency
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Five questions a government had been asked and had not answered by the end of the day. The evacuation figure is Thursday's, given once and not revised since.
Published with: What we know at the close of the eighth day
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The two statements about Warsaw, and the three hours and twenty minutes between them. Nothing independent has been established in that gap.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Radio press equipment set up inside the White House, Washington, photographed in 1938 or 1939. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Five questions a government had been asked and had not answered by the end of the day. The evacuation figure is Thursday's, given once and not revised since.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
Day 7Thursday 7 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
The arcade beneath the Peace Tower, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, photographed in 1934. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: Canada's war session opens; no declaration
- Creator
- Clifford M. Johnston
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The page of the Reichsgesetzblatt carrying the decree making it a criminal offence in Germany to listen to foreign broadcasts.
Published with: Germany makes listening to foreign broadcasts a crime
- Creator
- Reichsministerium des Innern
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Dispatch
Officials and State Police dig anti-aircraft trenches in a Warsaw school courtyard, photographed in August 1939. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: Warsaw communiqué: eight raids in the day
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Situation map
Poland at four o'clock on the seventh day. Two accounts of Westerplatte were current this afternoon and they are not compatible.
Published with: The approaches to Warsaw, and a position Berlin says has fallen
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Officials and State Police dig anti-aircraft trenches in a Warsaw school courtyard, photographed in August 1939. Colourised from original Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Poland at four o'clock on the seventh day. Two accounts of Westerplatte were current this afternoon and they are not compatible.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The page of the Reichsgesetzblatt carrying the decree making it a criminal offence in Germany to listen to foreign broadcasts.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Reichsministerium des Innern
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- The day in pictures
The arcade beneath the Peace Tower, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, photographed in 1934. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Clifford M. Johnston
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 6Wednesday 6 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Empty deck chairs aboard Athenia, photographed in 1937. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Churchill: 1,418 aboard the Athenia, about 125 unaccounted for
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The Federal Reserve Board Building, Washington, photographed in about 1937. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The embargo lands, and two Dominions are still not on the list
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Situation map
Western Poland at midday on the sixth day. Nothing on this map has been independently confirmed.
Published with: Western Poland: three positions, three kinds of claim
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Empty deck chairs aboard Athenia, photographed in 1937. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Western Poland at midday on the sixth day. Nothing on this map has been independently confirmed.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The Federal Reserve Board Building, Washington, photographed in about 1937. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 5Tuesday 5 September 1939Read the day →
- DispatchShareAlike
Published with: Warsaw bombed again; Polish staff admits Grudziądz and Bydgoszcz abandoned
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original. Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht collection.
- Dispatch
Published with: A government changes hands without an election
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- cc0-1.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original print, which dates from c. 1880-1900. The building is shown as it stood decades before 1939. Day-4 Gate 2 declined this print for misrepresenting its age; overruled for day 5 by editorial decision of 28 Aug 2026 on condition the approximate date appears in the visible credit and all captions.
- Dispatch
Published with: Athenia's missing put at 300 by one count and 500 by another
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Published with: Roosevelt proclaims neutrality; arms embargo still unsigned
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- Resized by LIVE WW2 from the Library of Congress scan of the original glass negative. Not colourised.
- Situation map
Where the Polish staff says it has given ground.
Published with: Where the Polish staff says it has given ground
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in picturesShareAlike
A German motorised column in a Polish town, in a photograph issued by a German propaganda company, September 1939. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original. Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht collection.
- The day in pictures
Where the Polish staff says it has given ground: the map at 04:00 GMT.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Parliament House, Cape Town, photographed around 1890. The Assembly's vote against neutrality on Monday ended Hertzog's premiership; Smuts was asked to form a government today. Colourised from the original Rijksmuseum print.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- cc0-1.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original print, which dates from c. 1880-1900.
- The day in pictures
The Athenia at Glasgow in the summer of 1937, dock workers repainting her stern. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
The last page of the American neutrality proclamation, signed and sealed, Washington, 5 September 1939. From the Harris & Ewing glass negative.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Harris & Ewing
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- Resized by LIVE WW2 from the Library of Congress scan of the original glass negative. Not colourised.
Day 4Monday 4 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Seamen sand the deck aboard Athenia at sea. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: Destroyers sent to Athenia's position overnight
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
Auxiliary firemen work a hose during a civil-defence exercise, Greenwich. Colourised from original National Archives photograph.
Published with: The warden found three windows on Chalcot Road and took no names
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- catalog.archives.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- DispatchShareAlike
A German motorised column passes through a Polish village, in a photograph issued by a German propaganda company. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: Fighting reported across Poland; Berlin and Warsaw accounts disagree
- Creator
- Falk, Propagandakompanie 637 Ost
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- Dispatch
Two of the Royal Air Force's principal twin-engined bombers, drawn to a common scale.
Published with: Nobody can check tonight's claim, including the people who made it
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- Situation map
The two places London says were bombed today.
Published with: Where the attack was made
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
Seamen sand the deck aboard Athenia at sea. Colourised from original Library of Congress photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Paul Vanderbilt
- Source
- loc.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
Auxiliary firemen work a hose during a civil-defence exercise, Greenwich. Colourised from original National Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- catalog.archives.gov
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in picturesShareAlike
A German motorised column passes through a Polish village, in a photograph issued by a German propaganda company. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Falk, Propagandakompanie 637 Ost
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised and AI-upscaled by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- The day in pictures
Two of the Royal Air Force's principal twin-engined bombers, drawn to a common scale.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The two places London says were bombed today.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
Day 3Sunday 3 September 1939Read the day →
- DispatchShareAlike
German motorised troops struggle along a rain-soaked road in Poland. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: German offensive continues into a third day
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- Dispatch
German troops receive flowers from civilians beneath Nazi flags in Danzig. Colourised from original Rijksmuseum photograph.
Published with: What we know by mid-afternoon
- Creator
- Atlantic (Titz. Fr. OKW)
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC0 1.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. Recorded internally as propaganda-source photography.
- Dispatch
SS Athenia pictured in Montreal Harbour. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: A British liner has been hit in the Atlantic, hours after the declaration
- Creator
- Johnston, C.M.
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Situation map
The approximate front line in Poland at the close of the third day.
Published with: Where the German advance stands, day three
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in picturesShareAlike
German motorised troops struggle along a rain-soaked road in Poland. Colourised from original Bundesarchiv photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- The day in pictures
German troops receive flowers from civilians beneath Nazi flags in Danzig. Colourised from original Rijksmuseum photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Atlantic (Titz. Fr. OKW)
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC0 1.0
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. Recorded internally as propaganda-source photography.
- The day in pictures
The approximate front line in Poland at the close of the third day. Graphic by LIVE WW2, compiled from both sides' official claims.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
SS Athenia pictured in Montreal Harbour. Colourised from original Library and Archives Canada photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Johnston, C.M.
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 2Saturday 2 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
France's general mobilisation order, France. Restored from original French National Archives document.
Published with: They are taking the vans first, and writing receipts for them
- Creator
- French government
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Restored by LIVE WW2 from the public-domain scan; deskewed and cleaned. No text reconstructed.
- DispatchShareAlike
A motorised German column, between Bagienica and Pruszcz, Poland. Colourised from original German Federal Archives photograph.
Published with: No reliable map of the Polish front can be drawn tonight
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised and cropped by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original. Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht collection.
- Dispatch
Eamon de Valera, Dublin. Colourised from original Irish press photograph.
Published with: Ireland declares an emergency, and declares it will not join Britain's war
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
A Polish anti-aircraft unit, Warsaw. Colourised from original National Digital Archive photograph.
Published with: Warsaw and Kraków bombed again, with no reliable count of anything
- Creator
- Central Photographic Agency Warsaw / Military Photographic Agency Warsaw
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph; cropped to 16:9.
- The day in pictures
France's general mobilisation order, France. Restored from original French National Archives document.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- French government
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- Restored by LIVE WW2 from the public-domain scan; deskewed and cleaned. No text reconstructed.
- The day in picturesShareAlike
A motorised German column, between Bagienica and Pruszcz, Poland. Colourised from original German Federal Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised and cropped by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original. Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht collection.
- The day in pictures
A Polish anti-aircraft unit, Warsaw. Colourised from original National Digital Archive photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Central Photographic Agency Warsaw / Military Photographic Agency Warsaw
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph; cropped to 16:9.
- The day in pictures
Eamon de Valera, Dublin. Colourised from original Irish press photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
Day 1Friday 1 September 1939Read the day →
- Dispatch
Upper Silesia and the German-Polish frontier, showing Gleiwitz and its radio transmitter.
Published with: German radio: Poles attacked Gleiwitz station
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- Dispatch
The battleship Schleswig-Holstein, Danzig. Colourised from original Polish archive photograph.
Published with: Danzig proclaimed part of the Reich; Westerplatte under fire
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Dispatch
The proclamation of President Moscicki, Warsaw. Reproduced from the original document.
Published with: President Mościcki proclaims state of war
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-assisted restoration by LIVE WW2 from the original document scan. Not a photograph.
- Dispatch
Children leaving for the country, Stepney. Colourised from original Ministry of Information photograph.
Published with: Evacuation begins: 1.5 million to leave the cities this week
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- DispatchShareAlike
Chancellor Hitler addressing the Reichstag, Berlin. Colourised from original German Federal Archives photograph.
Published with: Hitler to Reichstag: "We are now returning fire"
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- Dispatch
The attack on the Polish Post Office, Danzig. Colourised from original Polish archive photograph.
Published with: Polish Post Office in Danzig under assault
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- Situation map
German positions reported at the close of the first day.
Published with: Where the front lines stand tonight
- Creator
- LIVE WW2
- Licence
- Original work by LIVE WW2
- The day in pictures
The battleship Schleswig-Holstein, Danzig. Colourised from original Polish archive photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in pictures
The proclamation of President Moscicki, Warsaw. Reproduced from the original document.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-assisted restoration by LIVE WW2 from the original document scan. Not a photograph.
- The day in pictures
Children leaving for the country, Stepney. Colourised from original Ministry of Information photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.
- The day in picturesShareAlike
Chancellor Hitler addressing the Reichstag, Berlin. Colourised from original German Federal Archives photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph. This derivative is released under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany, the same licence as the original.
- The day in pictures
The attack on the Polish Post Office, Danzig. Colourised from original Polish archive photograph.
Published with: The day in pictures
- Creator
- Unknown
- Source
- commons.wikimedia.org
- Licence
- Public domain (copyright expired)
- Modification
- AI-colourised by LIVE WW2 from the original black-and-white photograph.