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March 30, 2008

Photoshop in the early 20th century


Tall tale postcard

At the beginning of the 20th century some clever photographers specialized in Photoshop before the term existed, faking postcards from mainly rural communities. Images of oversized vegetables, fruits and animals created a utopian myth about a town or region and served as a way of encouraging settlement and population growth. Some noteworthy collections of these so-called "Tall Tale Postcards" can be found here (Wisconsin Historical Society) and here (American Museum of Photography). Update: Things magazine has found another weird example of postcard manipulation.


Tall tale postcard strawberry

Tall tale postcard horse

Tall tale postcard fish

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