Petra Trnková
Forgeries in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, or Banknotes in the Hands of Photographers during the Mid-19th Century
In the 19th century, the forgery of banknotes, coins, print graphics, promissory notes, business contracts, last wills, and other documents was an integral part of the market. The quick development, both quantitative and qualitative, of these various kinds of forgeries can be attributed to rapid progress in new methods of mechanical reproduction at the middle of the century, in particular photography on paper. By means of several short case studies from the Czech Lands and Austria, supported by periodicals, court protocols, and authentic counterfeit banknotes, this contribution not only shows how the production of forgeries and their templates reflected the new technical possibilities, but also draws attention to more general theoretical questions. It takes particular note of the previously overlooked concept of failure, which is relevant not only for the historiography of photography but for graphics and the fine art in general.
Keywords: photographs - counterfeits - banknotes -forgery - copies
design by Bedřich Vémola
