Vienna by Tram 1906: Immersive Footage 4K Colorized w/ Sound

Take a 1906 streetcar/ tram ride through Imperial Vienna, colorized and restored to 4K life with immersive ambient sound.
Early silent film was upscaled to 4K, colorized using deep learning AI, and motion-stabilised. A custom soundscape was added to recreate the atmosphere of early 20th-century Austria.

I once visited Vienna and completely fell in love—though I must admit, I spend half my time there squinting at doorways, half-expecting Harry Lime to come smirking out of the shadows. While The Third Man is an absolute favorite, the "old Vienna" it mourns was even more fabulous than the noir version.

Back in 1906, before the world went sideways, Vienna was the shimmering heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire—literally the fourth-largest playground in Europe. Everything revolved around the Ringstrasse, this grand circular boulevard commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I to basically say "out with the old medieval walls, in with the glamour". By day, you’d head to the "Corso" (the promenade around the State Opera) to see and be seen. It was a total social melting pot where the city’s elite mingled with a wild, multi-ethnic mix of migrants from every corner of the empire. You had traditional imperial pomp on one side and a radical new intellectualism led by Freud and Mahler on the other.

And can we talk about the fashion? I adore the styles of this era! The streets were a 24/7 showcase for the Edwardian era silhouette. High-society women resplendent in that famous "S-curve" look. This silhouette came courtesy of the "health corset" that pushed everything forward and back in a way that looked incredibly elegant, if a bit precarious.

Daywear: I would have killed for their chic suit jackets with ankle-length skirts, usually topped off with fox furs and those massive hats dripping with ribbons and feathers.

The Fabrics: Imagine sumptuous silks, satins, and chiffons in these dreamy, soft colors, all covered in lace and spangles.

The "New Woman": Even then, things were changing. A more practical "New Woman" style was popping up with simpler "shirtwaists" (blouses) and raised-ankle walking skirts for young women heading off to work or college.

Technologically, the city was having a total renaissance. Even with horse-drawn carriages everywhere, Vienna was modernizing at breakneck speed.

Electricity: By 1906, the streetlights were electric, and the tram system had swapped horses for power. The streetcar or "tram" as we call it here in Europe, became the city's heartbeat.

Early Autos: Cars were still rare, but in 1907, nearly every second car in the entire Habsburg Empire was buzzing around Vienna. Fun fact: Ferdinand Porsche was actually developing the world’s first hybrid electric car right there in the city!

Modern Style: With massive projects like Otto Wagner’s Metropolitan Railway, urban travel became a functional work of art using sleek new steel-frame construction.

It’s just such a magical, bustling snapshot of time. A time when the echo of the 19th century still lingered, but the 20th century, with all its glory and horrors was only a decade away.





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