Menselijk hoofd op een tafel before 1897

This is a page spread from a book featuring photographic tricks, including “Menselijk hoofd op een tafel” (Human head on a table) by Frank A. Gilmore. The image on the right depicts a woman's head lying on a platter in a surreal fashion. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, photography was not just about documentation. It was also a stage for illusion. Gilmore’s trick photography offers a glimpse into the cultural fascination with the supernatural, and the societal desire to test the boundaries between reality and illusion. This artwork exists in the realm of identity, especially gender. By presenting a disembodied female head, Gilmore plays with the historical trope of the objectified woman. Is this an attempt to shock, to entertain, or to challenge societal norms? The emotional impact lies in its unsettling nature, as the familiar is rendered strange and the human form becomes a spectacle. "Menselijk hoofd op een tafel” shapes our understanding of early photographic practices, and also encourages us to reflect on the gendered dimensions of image-making.