Famous Black and White Photos for Your Living Room

In this post, we’re going to show you some famous black and white photos you can use to decorate your living room. Some of the pictures on our list today have become iconic images of historical moments.

Photographs, no matter what kind they are, always look great as a home decoration–framed or bare on the wall. You can also combine them in all kinds of ways to create different effects. This involves playing around with the various formats, filters, frames, etc…You can even hang them up in a way that makes a shape, like a heart or your initials.

Many people like to decorate with black and white photos. They give a room a nostalgic feel. This is part of the reason it has become so common for people to use black and white filters.

But filters aren’t the only way–you can also use old photos originally taken in black and white. Our suggestion would be to get them in big sizes and to hang them up on large, bare walls. That makes them the center of attention.

So, keep reading to see our ideas on the best black and white photos for your living room. You can get most of them from online decor stores or larger companies like Amazon.

Famous black and white photos for your living room

1. The Times Square kiss

This photo was taken in 1945 by Alfred Eisenstaedt, at the moment Japan surrendered–the definitive end to World War II. In the picture, we see a young sailor passionately kissing a nurse, celebrating the end of the terrible war.

This one is extremely easy to find online, with a simple search. You can also find it in all kinds of formats: canvas-stretched, wood-framed, etc…It also comes in many different sizes, which means you can easily find the perfect one for your living room.

2. Audrey Hepburn

Without a doubt, Audrey Hepburn was one of the greatest movie icons ever. Her kindness, simplicity, elegance, and naturalness have been captured in many famous photographs, along with the films she starred in.

Some of the most popular photos are the ones from her movie Roman Holiday, from 1954. That famous Vespa ride with Gregory Peck has been immortalized in photos, prints, posters, etc… If you ever go to Rome (where they filmed the movie), you’ll be able to find them at just about every souvenir shop you see.

Of course, we can’t forget Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which came out in 1961. Most of the photos from this movie people use to decorate their living rooms are of that famous shot of her wearing her black Givenchy dress, long gloves, and pearl necklace.

3. Breakfast on a skyscraper

This amazing photo was taken during the construction of the RCA building at the Rockefeller Center, New York, in 1932. Lots of people mistake it for the Empire State Building, and there are some doubts about who really took it.

In the photo, we see 11 workers with their feet hanging over the streets of New York as they eat their breakfast. It’s obvious that there were much fewer security measures in construction back then. The workers aren’t wearing harnesses or anything to save them if they fall, and yet they seem completely calm.

This image would look great in a medium or large format, over a bare white wall. Remember: complete white is a major 2018 trend, so why not take advantage of it?

4. Charlie Chaplin

There’s no talking about famous black and white photos without mentioning Charlie Chaplin. There are lots of high-resolution photos of him you can find online.

Probably the most famous ones of them all come from the movies, The Kid (1921) and Modern Times, released fifteen years later in 1936.

Charlie Chaplin photos are almost always extremely expressive. This is one of the reasons black and white photos make such good living room decorations.

And if you really like famous black and white photos, you should also look up images of Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, and other famous people from the early and mid 20th century.

5. The Kiss by the Hotel de Ville

The last photograph we’re going to talk about was taken in 1950 by Robert Doisneau. His goal was to symbolize ideas about the future, optimism, hope, and similar concepts.

This is one of the most highly sold photos in all of history. Unlike the first photo from this post, which was spontaneous, the kiss in this photo was staged. But that doesn’t mean you should see it as any less beautiful, or impressive.

As you can see, famous black and white photos are a great living room decor idea. Like we’ve said, the lighter your walls, and the more space you have on them, the better the photos will look.

“Life is like a good black and white photograph, there’s black, there’s white, and lots of shades in between.”

-Karl Heiner-