Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: Why did famous Civil War photographer Mathew Brady go broke?

He offended Abe Lincoln
His photos burned in a fire
It was illegal to sell war photos
No one wanted to remember the war

Correct Answer: No one wanted to remember the war

So why is this answer correct? : Mathew Brady, one of the earliest known American photographers, is often referred to as the father of photojournalism for his work during the Civil War. Although his images received more media attention than any others during the war, he eventually accumulated serious debt because no one wanted to purchase the grim images.

Trivia: The most viewed photo in the world was featured where?

Time Magazine
The White House
Microsoft Windows XP background
The Louvre Museum

Correct Answer: Microsoft Windows XP background

So why is this answer correct? : It is estimated that over a billion people have seen “Bliss” by Charles O’Rear, taken during a drive through Napa Valley. You probably recognize it as the default wallpaper for Microsoft Windows XP. The unedited image, which features grassy green hills under a blue sky, was reportedly sold to Microsoft by O’Rear for at least $100,000.

Trivia: What was the first photographic “paper” made of?

Wood
Asphalt
Plastic
Gelatin

Correct Answer: Asphalt

So why is this answer correct? : Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor who took the first photograph, did so by applying a type of light-sensitive asphalt varnish to a plate under sunlight. After the light parts were hardened, the dark parts could be washed away, leaving a permanent copy. He called this heliography and went on to use it on other materials like lithographic stone, glass, zinc, and pewter.

Trivia: What was the name of the first at-home film camera?

Kodak #1
Polaroid Spectra
Leica 35mm
Asahi Pentax SLR

Correct Answer: Kodak #1

So why is this answer correct? : Invented by George Eastman in 1888, the Kodak #1 changed the face of amateur photography forever. It was a simple box camera, preloaded with film for 100 exposures. After customers used up their film, the entire machine was sent back to their factory in Rochester, New York, to be processed.

Trivia: What was the biggest downfall of flash photography in the late 1800s?

Extremely heavy equipment
Eye injuries
Flash powder explosions
Unstable camera stands

Correct Answer: Flash powder explosions

So why is this answer correct? : The development of flash powder allowed photographers to work indoors and at night, but it didn’t come without danger. In the 1880s, a magnesium powder mixture was commonly used to produce instant nighttime photos by causing a large, bright spark. The powder was highly explosive, and therefore dangerous, but was very popular nonetheless.

Trivia: What does “SLR” stand for?

Source light reflection
Second lens radial
Single-lens reflex
Serial light response

Correct Answer: Single-lens reflex

So why is this answer correct? : Single-lens reflex, or SLR, cameras use a mirror and prism to allow the photographer to see exactly what will be captured in each shot. Debuting in the late 19th century, this was a useful innovation, as previous rangefinder cameras often produced an image quite different from that which was seen through the viewfinder. More recently, SLR technology has been superseded by digital LCD preview screens.

Trivia: This famous photo of a sailor kissing in Times Square marked what event?

V-J Day
New Year’s Eve
The election of JFK
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth

Correct Answer: V-J Day

So why is this answer correct? : Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photo of a sailor kissing a woman in Times Square encapsulated the joy many felt on V-J Day in 1945 when WWII came to an end. “Life” photographer Eisenstaedt shot the candid picture — often called “The Kiss” — on a Leica, but due to the impromptu nature of the photo, he never got the names of the subjects. Their identities — sailor George Mendonsa and dental assistant Greta Zimmer Friedman — only came to light decades later.

Trivia: The word “photography” comes from a Greek word meaning what?

Printing in color
Drawing with light
Realistic drawing
Light and movement

Correct Answer: Drawing with light

So why is this answer correct? : The word “photography” means “drawing with light,” The word comes from the Greek roots “phos” and “graphe,” meaning “light” and “draw or write.” It combines the two distinct sciences that create photos: the convergence of light rays to form an image, and the chemistry used to permanently record it on a light-sensitive surface.

Trivia: Which mainstream fashion magazine was the first to use real photographs?

Cosmopolitan
Vogue
Harper’s Bazaar
Grazia

Correct Answer: Vogue

So why is this answer correct? : Baron Adolph de Meyer, fashion’s first big photographer, was hired in 1913 to shoot portraits of models, actresses, and aristocrats for Vogue magazine. This was the first time real photographs were used in fashion editorials, paving the way for fashion magazines as we know them today.

Trivia: What was the subject of the first color photograph?

A horse and rider
Rolling meadows
A self-portrait
A tartan ribbon

Correct Answer: A tartan ribbon

So why is this answer correct? : Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell created the first color photograph on May 17, 1861, at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. He photographed a colorful tartan ribbon three times using different filters each time: red, blue, and yellow. He printed each on glass and projected them onto a screen to create a full-color image.