Rare Color Photos Of Charlie Chaplin From 1919

The photos capture the silent film legend posing in and around his newly built studio -- while dressed in his iconic "the Tramp" character.

This is how we are used to seeing Charlie Chaplin.

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But here he is color -- dressed as the Tramp while posing in front of his Tudor style offices at his studio in Hollywood, CA.

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The Tramp is Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character, but it was originally created by accident. He hastily put the character together for the short film Mabel's Strange Predicament.

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Chaplin explained how he created the Tramp in his autobiography, My Autobiography:

"A hotel set was built for (fellow Keystone comic) Mabel Normand's picture Mabel's Strange Predicament and I was hurriedly told to put on a funny make-up. This time I went to the wardrobe and got a pair of baggy pants, a tight coat, a small derby hat and a large pair of shoes. I wanted the clothes to be a mass of contradictions, knowing pictorially the figure would be vividly outlined on the screen. To add a comic touch, I wore a small mustache which would not hide my expression. My appearance got an enthusiastic response from everyone, including Mr. Sennett. The clothes seemed to imbue me with the spirit of the character. He actually became a man with a soul—a point of view."

The character made Chaplin a worldwide phenomenon.

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His huge popularity ultimately allowed him to buy his own studio, which gave him the freedom to make his own films.

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