Name/Title
Exaggeration Postcard - An Early Morning Catch - Near Wasaga BeachEntry/Object ID
2020.408.4Scope and Content
Colourized postcard referred to as an exaggeration postcard - circa 1907-1915Context
Exaggeration postcards, also known as "tall tale postcards" or "fantasy postcards" can be traced back to the late 1800s when photography and printing technologies were quickly advancing. Using manipulated photography, ordinary scenes or subjects were depicted in an exaggerated often comical manner. Postcards would feature an unusually large animal or crop - vegetable, fruit or fish for example - with a caption to go along with the postcard. Scenes and captions were often about specific locations or places. The postcards became a popular means of communication using photographic manipulation to create humorous and exaggerated depictions of every day life. Photographers would take two prints, a background landscape print and a close up print of an object, cut out the closeup object, superimpose it into the background image and take a photograph to use as the final copy. In early postcard history, German printers dominated the market until World War I when German postcards were banned. Exaggeration postcard popularity slowly diminished after this time with some remaining in circulation into the 1960s.
The postcard, captioned "An early Morning Catch - NEAR WASAGA BEACH" features fishermen in a boat and onshore with extra large fish from the "catch" on shore, and a large fish in the water being caught by a fisherman. Trees are shown along the water's edge with an extra large frog sitting on shore.
The reverse side of the postcard has printed text: "POST CARD, For Correspondence, For Address Only, Series 608 Fish Cards. 12 des." There is a no postage stamp or written text.Acquisition
Accession
2020.408Source or Donor
George and Jan PotopnykAcquisition Method
GiftDimensions
Height
3-1/2 inWidth
5-1/2 in
