These timeless postcards offer an eye-opening glimpse into life in Japan in the early 20th century. Taken from hand-colored photographs, the postcards showcase the still beauty of the country, depicting a nation on the cusp of modernization. The images feature solemn fishermen, bustling streets, temples and shrines: a country yet to be influenced by Western culture. The tinting effect brings out the rich colors of the natural surroundings, with trees, flowers and cherry blossoms jumping from the original black-and-white images. Here: Toyokuni Shrine Nakanoshima, Osaka, Japan. (Photo by New York Public Library/Caters News)

Many of the 12 million people who entered the US through New York’s Ellis Island wore traditional dress from their homelands. Here: A Ruthenian woman circa 1906 from the region historically inhabiting the kingdom of the Rus, incorporating parts of modern-day Slavic speaking countries. Her outfit consists of a shirt and underskirt made from linen embroidered with traditional floral-based patterns. (Photo by Augustus Francis Sherman/New York Public Library/The Guardian)

People pose for souvenir photos along peach blossom flowers at a field in Hanoi February 6, 2015. The peach blossom, believed to bring luck to families, is used to decorate homes during the Vietnamese “Tet” (Lunar New Year festival), which will take place from February 14 to February 24. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

Labourers work at a garment factory in Bac Giang province, near Hanoi October 21, 2015. Vietnam's textiles and footwear would gain strongly from the TPP, after exports of $31 billion last year for brands such as Nike, Adidas, H&M, Gap, Zara, Armani and Lacoste. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

A man steers with his legs while riding a motorcycle on a road in Vietnam's northern Hoa Binh province, outside Hanoi, October 15, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

People perform during celebrations to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Public Security police force at the National Convention Center in Hanoi August 18, 2015. The Vietnam Police force was founded on August 19, 1945, the day of the anti-colonial people's uprising known as the August Revolution. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

Ethnic San Chi women dressed in traditional costumes play a friendly football match as part of the Soong Co festival celebrations in northern Vietnam's Quang Ninh province on April 24, 2021. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 36, who was an illegal logger turned forest protector poses at Phong Nha National Park, Quang Binh province, Vietnam on April 8, 2022. (Photo by Hoang Trung/Reuters)