Toy photography can be linked back to the invention of photography. Toy photography can even be traced back to the practice of still life in art. Nevertheless, within history books, toy photography is not distinctly labeled as a genre. Instead, toy photography falls under the umbrella genres of still life, staged, fabricated, and directorial mode.
We must see toy photography as part of recognized artistic practices. It’s also important that we see toy photography’s unique qualities.
1898
Albert Smith and James Stuart Blackton create a short film with miniatures called ‘Raising Old Glory Over Morro Castle.’
Edward H. Amet creates a short film using miniautes called ‘Bombardment of Matanzas,’ passing it off as the real thing.
1912
Fashion photographer, Adolph de Meyer, created this still life image of a miniature figure.
1917
16 and 9 year olds, Elsie Wright and Francis Griffiths created the Cottingly Fairies photographs, passing them off as real fairy sightings.
1925
Edward Weston created this image of toys.
Late 1920s – 1930s
Herbert Bayer, Still Life, 1936 Laszlo Maholy-Nagy, Herbert List, Herbery Bayer, Emiel Von Maerkerken, Vilem Reichmann, and Hans Bellmer, used toys and miniatures for some of their works
1929
Kodak received 15 toy photography submissions to their picture contest.
1933
Wesley David Archer, published his series ‘Death in the Air,’ passing it off as real.
1934
Robert Kenneth Wilson (or more accurately, Marmaduke “Duke” Wetherell), captured a staged photo of the Lochness Monster, passing it off as real.
1940s & 50s
Guiseppi Cavalli and Horst P. Horst both used miniatures within thier still life work.
1957
Dare Wright began writing and photographically illustrating ‘The Lonely Doll’ book series.
1972
David Levinthal began using toys in his photography during graduate school, and still photographs toys to this day.
1975
James Casebere began creating photographic works with self-made miniatures. He continues to work in this way today (the image here is from his 2016/2017 work).
1976
Laurie Simmons began working with toys in her images. She still uses toys and miniatures in her photographic work today.
1983
Henk Tas began creating staged images with toys, and continued to do so, at least until 2005.
1988
Arthur Tress created ‘The Teapot Opera’ using staged toys. He then made ‘Fish Tank,’ the following year.
1992
Walter Wick photographically illustrated the I-Spy books beginning in 1992. He had created, what he refers to as ‘picture puzzels,’ prior to this time, but the timeline and works created, are not well defined.
2000s and Beyond
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Matthew Albanese, Mark Crummet, Grace Weston, Tatsuya Tanaka, Felix Hernandez, the wonderful people I’ve met through the instagram toy photographers community, all those who got invloved during the pandemic, and so many more, have been, and are still, working within this world. I’ll update as the years go by.
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