Fly? Man Will Never FLY!!!”

(Above) Stereoscopic photograph (French, c. 1860); Click image for larger view.

(Above) Detail of hand painting on one panel; Click image for larger view.

(Above) Back of Card; Click image for larger view.


IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE that there was a day when the concept of human flight was nothing more than a crazy thought. Like, say, time travel might be to us today. But those who dreamed of flying like a bird in the 1860s and before were considered dreamers, as personified by this stereoscopic, rather wacky, hand-painted photograph.

Available here.