FAKE!

Early photocollages and photomontages

Exhibition: 6 Feb 2026 – 25 May 2026

FAKE!
Anonymous, French man carries head on a wheelbarrow, c. 1900 – c.1910.

At a time when image manipulation using AI is attracting widespread attention, this exhibition demonstrates that altering images is nothing new – from the very beginnings of photography, images were being altered using scissors and glue.

Featuring more than 50 historical photographic images from the museum’s own collection, the exhibition shows how photo manipulation developed from the birth of the medium up to the Second World War – and reveals the motives behind it.

Artists