The 1912 War on Fake Photos
Snotnose writes:
Think the recent kerfluffle over deepfakes is something new? Guess again.
Concern about deceptively edited photos feels like a very modern anxiety, yet a century ago similar worries were being litigated...
Portrait photography gave rise to an industry of photo 'retouching' - analog 'beauty filters' - to flatter subjects in a way portrait painters once did. This trend lead to questions about technology distorting our perceptions of beauty, reality and truth:
Other commercial applications of photo retouching emerged: in 1911 tourists visiting Washington D.C. could acquire fake photographs of themselves posing with then President of the United States William Taft. This troubled Government officials. Upon discovering the practice in 1911, a United States Attorney ordered it stopped.
The following year a fugitive - wanted for people trafficking - was found in possession of a fake photo posing with President Taft, it was reported he'd used it to buy the trust of his victims:
That this seemingly benign practice had been weaponized prompted some to demand it be regulated against abuse. The justice department prepared a law, that was introduced by then Senator Henry Cabot Lodge - who'd similarly been troubled after reportedly finding a photograph of himself with someone he'd never met.
Now I have to wonder if Grandpa really did befriend a bigfoot.
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