Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Did Mark Twain ever smile for the camera?

Mark Twain was the most photographed celebrity author of his time.  And this was before digital cameras, iPhone pics and bona fide paparazzi. Twain had this to say about facing the camera:

"If a man tries to look serious when he sits for his picture the photograph makes him look as solemn as an owl; if he smiles, the photograph smirks repulsively; if he tries to look pleasant, the photograph looks silly; if he makes the fatal mistake of attempting to seem pensive, the camera will surely write him down as an ass."
-- Letter from Mark Twain to the Daily Hawaiian Herald, Sept. 5, 1866
You can find pages of images of Twain online by searching Google Images and Bing Images.  Can you find one of Twain looking "pensive" or, heaven forbid, "pleasant"?  Pleasant and pensive may be in the eye of the beholder.  The real challenge is to find a photo of Mark Twain with a smile on his face.  If you can, please post it or the source/internet url in the comment section.


Here's what you're up against:





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