Are photographs truly a window to the past? Before the advent of AI chatbots and deep fakes, photographers crafted remarkable image manipulations. Here are 10 early photographic 'fakes' that trick the eye, challenging our perception of reality. From the 19th and 20th centuries, these images reveal a history of photographic trickery, raising questions about the reliability of visual media. Have photographs ever really told the truth?
The Rijksmuseum's exhibition, Fake! Early Photo Collages and Photomontages from the Rijksmuseum Collection, explores this very question. Focusing on images from 1860 to 1940, the exhibition showcases how image fakery is not a recent phenomenon. From collages created with scissors and glue to clever deceptions fabricated under the cover of darkness in their darkrooms, photographers have always enjoyed fooling their audiences.
Let's dive into these 10 captivating images that demonstrate the early days of photographic trickery:
Daydream (c. 1870-1890), anonymous: This 19th-century carte de visite presents two realities - a woman and her partner with their tools of trade, and a daydream of becoming a mother. It was achieved by shielding part of the photographic paper from light and adding a second negative later, suggesting the innermost thoughts of the subjects.
Man startled by his own reflection (c. 1870-1880), Leonard de Koningh: In this comical memento mori, the photographer exposed just half of the photographic plate, then had the subject adopt a different pose before exposing the other half. The transition between the two images is imperceptible, like a magician's trick.
Decapitation (c. 1880-1900), FM Hotchkiss: This cabinet card, a style of print mounted on card, features a man's head removed and moved. The photographer played with the image to create a pleasing puzzle, offering a black humor experience.
Photomontage of a man pushing a wheelbarrow containing a head (c. 1900-1910), anonymous: This photomontage, created from two negatives, plays with scale and illusion, prefiguring the Surrealist movement. The open doorway provides a convenient dark background for the cut-and-pasted portion.
Taking our Geese to market (1909), Martin Post Card Company: This US photograph showcases the trend for playing with images of impossible proportions, known as 'Exaggerations' or 'Tall Tales'. It was a marketing ploy to create myths about the agricultural superiority of a region.
Car floating above Mulberry Bend Park, New York (1908), Theodor Eismann: This 'toekomstbeeld' (vision of the future) envisions a world where cars could fly. It features futuristic cityscapes with sky rails and zeppelins, and skyborne visitors floating over Boston, Hamburg, and The Hague.
Advertisement for the Transfield Sisters (c. 1904-1918), anonymous: As photography assumed a growing role in advertising, photomontages were used to create playful designs. This early advert for the vaudeville act the Transfield Sisters reflects an era of rapid change.
Collision between a car and a steamroller (1915), Alfred Stanley Johnson Jr: This photomontage features a clever placement of individual images, providing a humorous snapshot in time. The unusually dynamic scene invites a before-and-after narrative in the mind of the viewer.
Photo collage (1929), Albert Huyot: The cutting up of images and rearranging them on paper with glue was once a popular pastime. This piece, influenced by Dadaism and Cubism, manipulates fragments of photographic images into surprising new artistic forms.
Mimicry (Joseph Goebbels disguising Hitler as Karl Marx to placate the workers) (1934), John Heartfield: This political photomontage by Helmut Herzfeld, who changed his name to John Heartfield in protest against Hitler's regime, warns the working classes not to be fooled by Hitler's promises. It is comparable with political memes today that aim to speak truth to power.
Fake! Early Photo Collages and Photomontages from the Rijksmuseum Collection is at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam until 25 May 2026. If you liked this story, sign up for the Essential List newsletter - a handpicked selection of features, videos, and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
