While we often think of our ancestors as stern and humorless due to the stiff poses in early portraits, “novelty photos” reveal a much more playful side of history.
Long before Photoshop, people used creative practical effects to craft amusing and surreal images. Popular trends included “tall-tale postcards,” which featured giant crops or oversized animals through clever forced perspective and double exposure. At carnivals and boardwalks, “comic foregrounds”—wooden cutouts where people popped their heads through painted scenes—allowed Victorian and Edwardian folks to transform into weightlifters, mermaids, or babies.
These quirky snapshots prove that the desire to capture a laugh and share a bit of whimsical personality is a timeless human trait, bridging the gap between the sepia-toned past and today’s internet memes.
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