Photography has a dark side of deception! Join us as we uncover the most infamous photographs that tricked the world, from spiritual hoaxes to wartime propaganda. These images fooled millions and reveal the power of visual manipulation throughout history.
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00:00Mumler was famously put on trial for his spirit photographs, and this is one of the first
00:07moments where photographic reality is called into question.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most famous historical
00:14images that were faked or staged and successfully deceived people around the world.
00:19So using plastic, wood, and a toy submarine that create this model of a creature with
00:24a long neck and a small head.
00:2810.
00:29The levitation of Colin Evans
00:30In the early 20th century, Welsh spiritualist medium Colin Evans toured the UK, conducting
00:35seances in large, completely dark halls.
00:37Evans claimed he could levitate with the help of spirits, and he took flash-illuminated
00:41pictures as evidence of his abilities.
00:43In June 1938, the Daily Mirror published one such photo, showing Evans apparently floating
00:48in the air.
00:49The image quickly spread his fame and attracted curious crowds eager to witness it for themselves.
00:53However, skeptics soon noticed that Evans was holding a cord in all his photos and that
00:57his feet appeared blurry.
00:58This led them to the conclusion that he had simply jumped in the dark and taken the picture
01:01of himself mid-air.
01:029.
01:03Hippolyte Bayard's self-portrait as a drowned man
01:06History has been shaped by several well-known rivalries, but some have remained largely
01:09overlooked, including that between photography pioneers Louis Daguerre and Hippolyte Bayard.
01:15Although Daguerre is celebrated as a father of photography, Bayard claims to have invented
01:19his own photographic process first.
01:21Allegedly, the secretary of the French Academy of Sciences, who was a friend of Daguerre,
01:25convinced Bayard to delay announcing his discovery.
01:27This allowed Daguerre to get the recognition ahead of him.
01:30Frustrated by this perceived injustice, Bayard created the first staged photograph, in which
01:34he appears to have taken his own life.
01:35It even included a final note mocking the government for being too generous to Monsieur
01:39Daguerre.
01:40Eventually, it was found that Bayard was, in fact, still alive.
01:438.
01:44Incoming waves of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
01:46The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters
01:50in history, claiming over 200,000 lives across 14 countries.
01:54Imagine a line of 1,000 kilometers of water being lifted vertically."
02:00In its aftermath, a picture began circulating on the internet, purportedly showing the massive
02:04tsunami waves, moments before they hit the coast of Phuket, Thailand.
02:08The image spread far and wide, striking fear into the hearts of many, but it was later
02:12discovered to have been photoshopped.
02:14Experts pointed out several discrepancies, such as the waves being far larger than those
02:18that actually hit Thailand, and the traffic flow not aligning with the country's norms.
02:21In reality, the picture wasn't from Thailand at all.
02:24It actually depicted the skyline of Antofagasta, Chile.
02:277.
02:28Valley of the Shadow of Death
02:29This is the first famous photograph of war.
02:32Taken by Roger Fenton in April 1855 during the Crimean War, this photograph is one of
02:37the most renowned wartime images.
02:39It depicts a barren ravine littered with cannonballs so numerous that they look like scattered
02:42pebbles.
02:43It's a poignant image that evokes a feeling of emptiness and horror, as one contemplates
02:47the lives likely lost on that battlefield.
02:50Unsurprisingly, it captivated many and has been displayed in numerous art museums and
02:54institutes.
02:55However, the image is believed to have been staged.
02:56On the same day, another picture of the ravine was taken, showing the cannonballs only in
03:00the ditch.
03:01Did Fenton clear the cannonballs from the road, or did he put them there himself, as
03:06photo historians have alleged?
03:07It is thought that Fenton moved some of them onto the road to exaggerate the sense of terror
03:11that the more recognized version conveys.
03:14Well, maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
03:17That doesn't tell me which photograph was taken first.
03:206.
03:21Iraq War Hostage
03:22On February 1st, 2005, reports emerged that Iraqi militants had abducted an American soldier
03:27named John Adam.
03:28This report included a picture which supposedly showed Adam with his hands tied behind his
03:32back and a gun to his head.
03:33The militants threatened to kill him within 72 hours unless Iraqi prisoners held by the
03:38US were released.
03:39However, the US military insisted that none of its soldiers in Iraq were missing.
03:42The confusion began to clear up when toy manufacturer Dragon Models USA pointed out
03:47that the soldier in the picture closely resembled one of their action figures, Cody.
03:50By February 2nd, the truth came to light.
03:52An unidentified Iraqi man admitted to staging the image using the Dragon Models toy.
03:575.
03:58William H. Mumler Spirit Photographs
04:00In the late 1860s, America was still recovering from the Civil War, a conflict that claimed
04:04up to a million lives.
04:06Grieving families looked for solace wherever they could find it, and some turned to the
04:09photography studio of William H. Mumler.
04:11Mumler had accidentally discovered a way to use double exposure to create images that
04:16appeared to show spirits.
04:17This technique quickly turned into a booming business, attracting numerous customers, including
04:22Mary Todd Lincoln, who received a picture with the ghost of her husband, Abraham Lincoln.
04:26But while Mumler deceived many with his ruse, he also had his skeptics.
04:29After some of the supposed spirits were found to still be alive, he was arrested and charged
04:33with fraud and larceny.
04:34He was taken to court for fraudulent practices, which he was never convicted of.
04:414.
04:42The Tourist Guy
04:43The plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.
04:47After the 9-11 attacks, the internet was flooded with conspiracy theories and misinformation.
04:51This included a now-infamous photograph of a tourist standing on the observation deck
04:55of the World Trade Center with an incoming plane in the background.
04:58This image appeared to capture the moment just before the plane hit the tower.
05:02It spread quickly online, but as more eyes were drawn to it, they began to notice numerous
05:07inconsistencies, including the weather, the motion of the plane, and the skyline behind.
05:11Eventually, the man was identified as Piter Guzli, a Hungarian tourist who took the original
05:15picture in November 1997.
05:17Guzli had added the plane as a joke for a few friends, only for the doctored image to
05:21unexpectedly go viral.
05:223.
05:23Lunch Atop a Skyscraper
05:24Considered one of the most influential images in history, Lunch Atop a Skyscraper shows
05:2911 construction workers casually eating lunch while sitting on a steel beam high above New
05:33York City.
05:34Taken in 1932 during the construction of Rockefeller Center, the image has become a lasting symbol
05:38of American resilience and hard work during the Great Depression.
05:41"...their attitude, I think their casualness, the indifference to the risk that they're
05:47taking is what separates the photograph."
05:51But for all of its influence and renown, the photograph is not as candid as it appears.
05:55While the men were actual construction workers perched on the beam, the scene was carefully
05:59orchestrated as part of a publicity campaign to promote the new building.
06:02Lunch Atop a Skyscraper may depict a compelling story, but it turns out the picture doesn't
06:06tell the whole truth.
06:07The funniest part about the photographs were they were done for publicity."
06:122.
06:13The Surgeon's Photograph
06:14Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster date back to the 7th century, but the first image of
06:17the creature didn't emerge until 1934.
06:20Known as the Surgeon's Photograph, it appeared to show a long-necked creature rising from
06:24the water.
06:25The image, which was attributed to London surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson, fueled widespread
06:29belief in the monster's existence.
06:31Immediately after the photo was published, the British public began speculating on the
06:36nature of this mysterious beast.
06:38It would take 60 years for it to be revealed that the Surgeon's Photograph was an elaborate
06:42hoax orchestrated by filmmaker M.A. Weatherell.
06:45After his earlier claims of finding Nessie footprints were discredited, Weatherell sought
06:49revenge by staging the picture.
06:50With the help of collaborators, he built a toy submarine, photographed it, and passed
06:54it to Wilson, whose reputable profession lent it credibility.
06:57But in reality, it's just a picture of the model floating in the water.
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07:171.
07:19Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
07:20Captured by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima remains
07:26one of the most iconic images of World War II.
07:28That was our flag, and I went up not knowing what kind of a picture I would get.
07:34The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph depicts six U.S. Marines raising the American flag
07:38on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, but not many know that this was the
07:42second flag raising that day.
07:44The first, involving a smaller flag, occurred several hours earlier and sparked cheers from
07:48the Marines that led to them coming under enemy fire.
07:56The second, larger flag, was hoisted later, and it was this moment that Rosenthal captured.
08:00Interestingly, a few months later, a similar image, raising a flag over the Reichstag,
08:04was taken in Berlin, which was doctored to heighten the dramatic effect.
08:08See the difference?
08:09Caldi superimposed some black smoke from another photo and manipulated the contrast.
08:13What staged or doctored photographs throughout history have managed to fool you?
08:17Let us know in the comments below.
08:18Which photo shows the truth?
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