#16: First Photo of a Giant Squid
Sea creatures look like they’re from another world. Before photography, many people wouldn’t have believed the amazing descriptions of ocean animals like squids and octopi. The invention of photography changed the way information was documented and spread to the masses. This 1874 image is the first-known photograph of a giant squid.
This looks like something out of a horror movie, but only because squids are so other-worldly looking. This image of a squid draped over a bathtub was most likely taken to document the sea creature in an objective, scientific manner. The image is of a squid specimen, so it was no longer alive when the photo was taken. Strangely enough, the photo was taken in a living room in Newfoundland. The giant squid belonged to Reverend Moses Harvey.