Can you identify the image in the world's oldest photograph? The awesomely weird art of 1800s baseball photography. Catching projectiles with one's face seemed like all the rage back in the day.
When I first saw the photo's and hadn't read the article, I just assumed that these were the first "action shot" pictures without considering that photography hadn't developed enough to capture the ball mid-flight. Thus, I actually thought the aim was the capture the moment before the ball hit his face to accomplish a surreal shot. can you imagine having to repeatedly take that shot if you just missed the timing? Ouch! The Overwhelming Weirdness Of 1800s Ghost Mother Photography. The Goofiest Old Timey Spirit Portraits Ever Photographed. SExpand Totally agree, it's wonderful!
I can't believe anybody fell for the rest of these, especially the obvious cotton ball ones. Not surprised to see that composition wasn't any better then than it is now. What always confuses me about how people managed to be hoodwinked by this isn't the bad overlaying, terrible compositions or even the obvious cotton wool but...surely they recognised the picture of their loved one as looking more than suspiciously like same one they'd had to loan photographer for "seance purposes" (or whatever-not-at-all-dodgy reason they cooked up for needing it)?
Glamour shots of carnival "freaks" of the 1800s were oddly touching. This creepy trick photo from 1875 proves our great-great-great-grandparents had a twisted sense of humor. Not that young.
I'm 24 and my great-great-great grandparents were born in 1860's; they were still children in the 1870's when the main photo of this article was taken. It depends on the age at which each generation reproduces. The First Ever Cosplay Photos, From the 1890s. Child mugshots of the 1800s were like a depressing episode of The Little Rascals. This is history's greatest photo of a bear beating up a man.