Photo Editing in the 1860s
In the tumultuous election year of 1860, Abraham Lincoln faced a peculiar predicament. A vast number of voters were clueless about his visage. Worse still, media outlets and political adversaries painted him as a caricature of vulgarity, lacking education, and grotesque in appearance. In response, Lincoln sought the services of Mathew Brady, a renowned photographer, to skillfully manipulate his photographs before they were disseminated to the public.
In the year 1865, following the tragic demise of President Lincoln, a cunning ruse was hatched by portrait painter Thomas Hicks. With a stroke of artistic deception, he masterfully replaced the head of John C. Calhoun with that of the late president in a print. Astonishingly, this clever forgery went unnoticed for an entire century, a testament to Hicks’ skillful subterfuge.
An Old School Arcade
In the era before home video game consoles dominated the scene, gaming enthusiasts would flock to vibrant amusement arcades. These bustling hubs of entertainment were filled with a myriad of games. Arcade video games buzzed and blinked, pinball machines clattered and chimed, redemption games offered tantalizing prizes, and electro-mechanical games whirred and clicked. Claw machines tempted players with plush toys, while billiards and air hockey tables fostered friendly competition. It was truly a playground for gamers.
The exhilarating world of amusement arcades finds its roots in the humble penny arcades of the early 1900s, a haven for coin-operated entertainment. The dawn of the late 1970s to early 1980s saw the introduction of iconic video games like Space Invaders, Galaxian, and Pac-Man, catapulting arcades into their Golden Era. This was a time when arcades became the pulsating heart of gaming culture, offering thrilling, coin-fueled adventures.