Photographic Tricks and Amusements

An unused real photo postcard. There's no handwritten message on the other side, and there's no indication of a photo studio. For more trick photos like this, see my Mirror Photos album.

A Spanish real photo postcard showing a mirror photo of a little girl standing on a chair. It's dated 1919 on the other side. For more like this, see my Mirror Photos album.

"Greetings from the Philco Convention, Atlantic City." An undated real photo postcard. As far as I can determine, the convention took place in 1953.

A small double-exposure photo that was intended to make this fellow look like he had two heads.

A real photo postcard with "Elmer, age 6, Clair, age 7."

Novelty real photo postcard, date and location unknown.

I chose photographic tricks and amusements for the free-for-all (post as many photos on as many different themes as you'd like) during the fifth week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. On the left-hand side of this photo, we see a woman taking a bite out of an apple offered to her by a man—shades of Adam and Eve! On the right, we see the same couple, and they've noticed the other version of themselves—the woman is pointing in their direction and the man is looking over at them. According to the typed label attached to the back, this is a photo of "Mr. & Mrs. Emerson Clover, Central Park, Whittier, California, March 31, 1921." I haven't uncovered any information regarding how Emerson J. Clover (1854-1926) and his wife, Alice K. Clover (1864-1947) created this trick photo, but the double exposure is well done. Central Park in Whittier, California, still exists. Part of a circular fountain or other structure in the park is visible beyond the tree. See also the full version of the photo, which is mounted on cardboard.

The full photo as mounted on a cardboard backing. For more information, see the cropped version .

A barrel-of-fun photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten date at top right: "Aug. 5, 1923."

A photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

See also a cropped version of this novelty real photo postcard:

A paper moon photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. See also the full version of this real photo postcard.

See also the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

A paper moon photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Photomontage in a tall-tale or exaggeration photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A real photo postcard created by William H. Martin in 1909.

Photomontage in a tall-tale or exaggeration photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "Some Good Size Murphys." Giant potatoes created by an unidentified photographer.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of playing cards and board games . Two young men pretend to play Parcheesi against themselves as they pose (two times!) for this double exposure photograph. Take a look at a cropped version of the photo showing a close-up view of the Parcheesi board on the top of the table. This is an unused real photo postcard with the words "Post Card" and "The address to be written on this side" printed on its undivided back, which suggests that it may date to sometime during the first decade of the twentieth century.