designing a promotional poster for an academic event, where the centrepiece art is a very old black & white image (late 19th C).

Is there any way to incorporate colour into B&W image-based design, e.g through coloured font and/or image tint, that doesn't look shit?

Anyone able to link to examples of non-chirpy, non-frivolous, non-consumerist designs that add colour to a B&W image and don't look shit?