Yes, colour existed in 1968, but its availability depended heavily on location and medium; in the US, major networks offered full colour schedules, while in places like Australia, colour TV was just arriving or still a year away, though colour film and early colour broadcasts were happening globally, with films starting to cross over into colour dominance that year.
The colour TV revolution hit Australia on 1 March 1975.
The first broadcast in color was the President Urho Kekkonen's New Year speech in 1969, and color television licenses were introduced the same year. Color was introduced gradually; most programs were in color by the end of the 1970s. Some news broadcasts remained in black-and-white until May 1979.
It was not until the mid-1960s that color sets started selling in large numbers, due in part to the color transition of 1965 in which it was announced that over half of all network prime-time programming would be broadcast in color that autumn. The first all-color prime-time season came just one year later.
Color TV came out in the early 1950s in the U.S., with the first compatible color standard (NTSC) adopted in 1953 and commercial sets sold in 1954, but widespread adoption didn't happen until the 1960s and 1970s as prices dropped and programming increased, with most countries transitioning at different paces.
By 1965, CBS had begun to drastically increase its color programming and by the 1966-67 television season, nearly all of its prime-time shows were airing in color. The Ed Sullivan Show officially made the leap to color on September 19th 1965, ushering in a new era of television for millions of viewers.
June 16, 1965 - Further expansion of color program schedules for next season were announced today by two television networks. CBS added six shows, including Ed Sullivan (pictured with the Beatles last year), to its color list, and ABC added two programs.
Color photography was still a coming thing in 1968... Thanks to Kevan Welch for sharing these & his dad for taking it so many years ago... finally have a color pic of this one for the archive. I didn't remember the white roof cut down at an angle.
The 60s patterns trace back to a cultural revolution. Art, music, and social movements heavily influenced the vibrant, eclectic designs of the era. The psychedelic movement was a key contributor. It embraced new expressions, often with bold colours, swirling shapes, and intricate details.
Color TV came out in the early 1950s in the U.S., with the first compatible color standard (NTSC) adopted in 1953 and commercial sets sold in 1954, but widespread adoption didn't happen until the 1960s and 1970s as prices dropped and programming increased, with most countries transitioning at different paces.
The improvements it offered in picture quality justified charging a premium – when the Trinitron was first introduced to the US in 1969 it cost $319.95 or about $2,200 in 2019 US dollars.
This is the exact moment a news station switched from black-and-white to color television on April 14, 1967. The broadcast captures the dramatic transition as the monochrome image dissolves into vibrant color, marking a historic leap in television technology and forever changing the way viewers experienced the news.
1969 was a great year for TV because it was the debut of four enduring shows, two classic American kids shows: Sesame Street (1969) and Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969) and two classic British comedy shows: Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969) and The Benny Hill Show (1969).
Colour television officially came to Australia on 1 March 1975, marking a major shift from black-and-white broadcasts, though experimental colour telecasts occurred from late 1974, with rapid public adoption following the official launch despite initial high costs.
At the time, a television cost hundreds of pounds – back when Australia paid in pounds, of course. By the 1960s, you could still expect to pay the equivalent of $6000 for a 23-inch black and white set for your home.
Broadcast times gradually increased, although ABC did not commence 24-hour broadcasting until 1993. TV 'parties' at the neighbours' were popular in 1956. Communal television viewing was a popular activity for families and friends throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
The 3-3-3 clothing rule is a simple styling method for creating many outfits from few items: choose 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, which allows for 27 potential combinations (3x3x3) and reduces decision fatigue, often used for travel or building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It's a versatile concept, sometimes expanded to include 3 layers (like jackets or cardigans) for even more looks, making dressing easier by focusing on mix-and-match versatility with core pieces.
By 1960, color was much more common but still tended to be reserved for travel photos and special occasions. Color film and color prints cost several times as much as black-and-white, and taking color snapshots in deep shade or indoors required flashbulbs—an inconvenience and an additional expense.
The Swinging Sixties was the period between 1964–70 in the UK. These were years of great social and cultural change that made the country what it is today. The term 'swinging sixties' comes from the free, permissive 1960s culture and the prevalence of popular culture and pop music.
Why was color photography not widely used prior to the 1970s? Color photography was expensive and complex before the 1970s. Early color films required special processing, which was not widely available. Also, the cost of color prints was much higher than black-and-white.
In 1902, when the first colorized film A Trip to the Moon appeared on the screen, the earliest example of true color cinema appeared. This technology was invented by Briton Edward Turner in 1899.
For years, high costs and limited programming kept most households watching in black and white. But as prices dropped and networks embraced color, the transition became inevitable. By 1972, color TVs were outselling black-and-white models, marking a turning point in television history.
The first commercially produced film in natural color was A Visit to the Seaside (1908). The eight-minute British short film used the Kinemacolor process to capture a series of shots of the Brighton Southern England seafront.