The Anonymous Ur-Wegman

A site called Cosas Cool found these amongst the vast L.o.C. archives. Antecedents of the great dress-up-the-dog photographers of today, no doubt...someone should write a thesis.

Mike
(Thanks to Tom Kwas)

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Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

[Geoff Wittig]

Bad taste and smug humor are timeless? Reminds me of late 18th century Parisian dandies strolling the park with (say) a crab on a leash to shock the rubes.

The thesis almost writes itself.

[Antony Shepherd]

I just wonder what people used to do with pictures like this before there was an internet?

[Paul Richardson]

I have to say that I actually prefer this over Wegman, in spite of the fact it reminds me of my high school French teacher (who shall remain nameless).

[Witek]

Dejection.
That feeling embraces me, when watching things like "da dressed up dog".

[Kevin Purcell]

Antony asks: "I just wonder what people used to do with pictures like this before there was an internet?"

Make carte de visite (with a standard "almost 16:9" photographs) and drop them off at your friends when you visit. Just like sending a URL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carte_de_visite

For "Random Cat Excellence" see Harry Pointer and "The Brighton Cats" carte de visite for the Victorian take on "cat macros".

http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm

and his dog cards

http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BtnPointerdogs02.jpg

For example, Cute dogs

http://tuesday-johnson.tumblr.com/post/27792980510/ca-1860s-carte-de-visite-portrait-of-a-dog

Distributing wacky photos of animals have been with us for more than 150 years.

[Sean]

"I just wonder what people used to do with pictures like this before there was an internet?"

Print them

[Bill Tyler]

This has to be fine art. It's black-and-white, and shows what appear to be the edges of the film holder.

[Jack]

"Bad taste and smug humor are timeless?"

uhh, yeah

[Dennis Ng]

Sad. Nothing more to say!

[Scott Baker]

Looking at the links in Kevin's comment above, I find myself more impressed with that work than the modern work of Wegman. I have never done any large format work, and certainly no historic recreation work, so I have no idea what kind of ISO is possible with albumen prints. Still, to get animals to hold still for even 1/10 of a second would be a trick. It makes modern studio flashes seem like cheating.