—Another Photo Mystery—
You have probably seen both of these photographs on separate occasions over the years, and, if you’re like me, thought you had been looking at the same one—perhaps because Oscar looks about same in each.
But when they are viewed together it becomes clear they are not the same photograph. Everyone has moved slightly, Oscar perhaps the least. It is clear these are different pictures.
The photo on the left can be found in Ellmann (1987)—and, as far as I can see, nowhere else. The one on the right is only slightly more common, and can be found occasionally online, but rarely, if ever, in books.
Despite the relative rarity of these images, there is nothing mysterious about their production. Photographs were often taken in pairs like this, and Oscar Wilde became no stranger to them (see features below).
Continue reading “Double Take”
