In 1921 a photograph of a thylacine Thylacinus cynocephalus carrying a chicken in its mouth appeared in The Australian Museum Magazine with the caption “copyright photo from life - H. Burrell”. In 1926, A.S. Le Souef and Harry Burrell used the same photograph to illustrate the entry for the thylacine in The Wild Animals of Australasia. Robert Paddle (2000) considers the picture to be one of the chief causes of a “blossoming of the construction that the thylacine was a significant poultry predator” and notes that the photograph has been used in many published works. However, a former associate of Burrell suggests that the figure in the photograph is not a live animal, but a mounted specimen placed against a “bush background”. With the assistance of digital imaging programs, a close analysis of the glass plate negative of this photograph is undertaken to determine the veracity of the claim. I conclude that the figure in the photograph is indeed a mounted specimen. Certain circumstantial evidence connected with the historical and textual contexts in which the image was produced and published is also discussed. As one of the last in a series of negative representations of the thylacine in zoological works, the photograph's prolonged uncritical reception demonstrates the deceptive potential of photography and suggests that we see what we are conditioned to see.

Anderson, C. 1921. The objects of The Australian Museum Magazine. The Australian Museum Magazine 1: 3-4.
,
The objects of The Australian Museum Magazine
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
1
(pg.
3
-
4
)
Angus, M. 1975.The World of Olegus Truchanas. Wilkie, Clayton, Vic.
,
The World of Olegus Truchanas
Anon. 1927. Review: The Wild Animals of Australasia. The Australian Museum Magazine 3: 20.
Anon. 1945. Obituary: H. J. Burrell. The Australian Museum Magazine 8: 414.
Barrett, C. 1923.Rambles Round the Zoo. Whitcombe and Tombs, Melbourne, Vic.
,
Rambles Round the Zoo
Berridge, W. S. 1911.Every Boy's Book of the Zoo. Dent, London.
,
Every Boy's Book of the Zoo
Bickel, L. 1980.In Search of Frank Hurley. Macmillan, South Melbourne, Vic.
,
In Search of Frank Hurley
Bonyhady, T. 2000.The Colonial Earth. Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, Vic.
,
The Colonial Earth
Brown, R. 1973. Has the thylacine really vanished? Animals September, 1973: 416-419.
,
Has the thylacine really vanished?
,
Animals
, vol.
1973
(pg.
416
-
419
)
Burrell, H. 1917. The deposition of the eggs of Monotremes. Australian Zoologist 1: 87-88.
,
The deposition of the eggs of Monotremes
,
Australian Zoologist
, vol.
1
(pg.
87
-
88
)
Burrell, H.1920. Field notes on the life history of Monotremes - 1. Australian Zoologist 1: 231-40.
,
Field notes on the life history of Monotremes - 1
,
Australian Zoologist
, vol.
1
(pg.
231
-
40
)
Burrell, H.1921. The Tasmanian Tiger or Wolf (photo). The Australian Museum Magazine 1: 62.
,
The Tasmanian Tiger or Wolf (photo)
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
1
pg.
62
Burrell, H. 1924.Major Correspondence Series. Letters received 1889-1926, Series 9: B33. Australian Museum Archives, Sydney, NSW.
Burrell, H. 1924-1939.Burrell Papers: Correspondence. Royce Cottage Collection, Manilla Heritage Museum, Manilla, NSW.
,
Burrell Papers: Correspondence
Burrell, H. 1925. Field notes on the natural habits of echidna. (Tachyglossus aculeatus). Australian Zoologist 4: 8.
,
Field notes on the natural habits of echidna. (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
,
Australian Zoologist
, vol.
4
pg.
8
Burrell, H. 1927.The Platypus: Its discovery, zoological position, form and characteristics, habits, life history, etc. Angus and Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
,
The Platypus: Its discovery, zoological position, form and characteristics, habits, life history, etc.
Burrell, H. 1931. Miscellaneous notes on Monotremes. Australian Zoologist 6: 387-392.
,
Miscellaneous notes on Monotremes
,
Australian Zoologist
, vol.
6
(pg.
387
-
392
)
Chandler, D. 1994. Semiotics for Beginners. http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html. Accessed 30/3/05. http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html
Culler, J. 1981.The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction. Routledge, London.
,
The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction
Faith, D. P. 1990. Search for the thylacine's sister. Australian Natural History 23: 547-553.
,
Search for the thylacine's sister
,
Australian Natural History
, vol.
23
(pg.
547
-
553
)
Freeman, C. (Forthcoming). Figuring Extinction: Visualising the thylacine in zoological and natural history works 1808-1936. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas.
Garvard, S. 1999.Photograft: A critical analysis of image manipulation. Masters thesis. http://sandra.oundjian.com/content/papers/thesis.htm. Accessed 12.12.04. http://sandra.oundjian.com/content/papers/thesis.htm
Greener, L. and Laird, N. 1971.Ross Bridge and the Sculpture of David Herbert. Fullers Publishing, Hobart, Tas.
,
Ross Bridge and the Sculpture of David Herbert
Gregory, W. K. 1921. Australian mammals and why they should be protected. The Australian Museum Magazine 1: 65-74.
,
Australian mammals and why they should be protected
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
1
(pg.
65
-
74
)
Guiler, E. 1958. The thylacine. The Australian Museum Magazine 12: 351-354
,
The thylacine
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
12
(pg.
351
-
354
)
Hurley, F. c1986.Hurley at War: The photography and diaries of Frank Hurley in two World Wars. Fairfax Library, Broadway, NSW.
,
Hurley at War: The photography and diaries of Frank Hurley in two World Wars
Jackson, P. 1992. Constructions of culture, representations of race: Edward Curtis's ‘way of seeing’. Pp 89-106 in Inventing Places: Studies in Cultural Geography, edited by K. Anderson and F. Gale. Longman Cheshire, Melbourne, Vic.
,
Inventing Places: Studies in Cultural Geography
(pg.
89
-
106
)
Jacobson, C. 2002.Underexposed. Vision On Publishing, London.
,
Underexposed
Kinghorn J.R. 1944. S.W.P. Naturalists. The Australian Museum Magazine 8: 242-246.
,
S.W.P. Naturalists
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
8
(pg.
242
-
246
)
Laird, N. 1943-1978.Norman Laird Papers. Margaret Laird-Valentine, Hobart, Tas.
,
Norman Laird Papers
Laird, N. 1945. The curious Black Lily. Walkabout October: 12-14.
Laird, N. 1945. Frilled Dragon. Walkabout November.
Laird, N. 1945-1977. Norman Laird Collection. NS1377 Research Papers and Photographs, NS1143 Tasmanian Tiger Records. State Archives Office, Hobart, Tas.
Laird, N. 1946. The Ancient Cycad. Walkabout April: 30-33.
Laird, N. 1948. Inarlinga. Walkabout May: 24-32.
Laird, N. 1950. Letter from Macquarie. Walkabout November: 29-34.
Lankester, E. R. 1923.Great and Small Things. Methuen, London.
,
Great and Small Things
Le Souef, A. S. and Burrell, H.1926.The Wild Animals of Australasia: Embracing New Guinea and the nearer Pacific Islands. George Harrap, Sydney, NSW.
,
The Wild Animals of Australasia: Embracing New Guinea and the nearer Pacific Islands
Lowrey, W. 1998. Altered plates: photo manipulation and the search for news value in the 1920s and the 1990s. AEJMC Conference paper. Michigan State University. http://list.msu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9810d&L=aejmc&F=&s=&P=1247. Accessed 9.12.04. http://list.msu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9810d&L=aejmc&F=&s=&P=1247
Lunney, D. and Burgin, S. 2004. Urban wildlife management: forming an Australian synthesis. Pp 230-247 in Urban Wildlife: More than meets the Eye, edited by D. Lunney and S. Burgin. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Mosman, NSW.
,
Urban Wildlife: More than meets the Eye
(pg.
230
-
247
)
Lunney, D. and Matthews, A. 2003. “Throw a koala on the barbie” (Daily Telegraph 15 July 1997): an analysis of wildlife reporting in two daily newspapers. In proceedings of the Zoology and the Media forum, edited by D.Lunney, A. Matthews and P. Wilson. Australian Zoologist 32: 288-297.
MacQuire, S. 1998.Visions of Modernity: Representation, Memory, Time and Space in the Age of the Camera. Sage, London.
,
Visions of Modernity: Representation, Memory, Time and Space in the Age of the Camera
Mitchell, W. 1994. When is seeing believing? Scientific American February 1994: 44-49.
,
When is seeing believing?
,
Scientific American
, vol.
1994
(pg.
44
-
49
)
Moeller, H. F. 1997.Der Beutelwolf: Thylacinus cynocephalus. Wesarp Wissenschaften, Magdeburg, Germany.
,
Der Beutelwolf: Thylacinus cynocephalus
Moyal, A. 2001.Platypus: The extraordinary story of how a curious creature baffled the world. Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.
,
Platypus: The extraordinary story of how a curious creature baffled the world
Newhall, B. 1980.Photography: Essays and Images: Illustrated readings in the history of photography. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
,
Photography: Essays and Images: Illustrated readings in the history of photography
O'Keefe, D. 1986.Hurley at War: The photography and diaries of Frank Hurley in two World Wars. Fairfax Library, Broadway, NSW.
,
Hurley at War: The photography and diaries of Frank Hurley in two World Wars
Paddle, R. 1993. Thylacines associated with the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. Australian Zoologist 29: 97-101.
,
Thylacines associated with the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
,
Australian Zoologist
, vol.
29
(pg.
97
-
101
)
Paddle, R. 2000.The Last Tasmanian Tiger: The history and extinction of the thylacine. Cambridge U. P., Cambridge, UK.
,
The Last Tasmanian Tiger: The history and extinction of the thylacine
Richin, F. 1990. Photojournalism in the age of computers. Pp 28-37 in The Critical Image: Essays on Contemporary Photography edited by C. Squiers. Bay Press, Seattle, USA.
,
The Critical Image: Essays on Contemporary Photography
(pg.
28
-
37
)
Sharland, M.S.R. 1938. In search of the Thylacine. Proceedings of the Royal Society of NSW 1938-1939: 20-38.
,
In search of the Thylacine
,
Proceedings of the Royal Society of NSW
, vol.
1938-1939
(pg.
20
-
38
)
Simpson, L. 1993. The Lying Eye. The Age Magazine Melbourne 31 July, 1993: 21-2.
,
The Lying Eye
,
The Age Magazine
, vol.
1993
(pg.
21
-
2
)
Snyder, J. 1994. Territorial Photography. Pp 175-201 in Landscape and Power, edited by W. J. T. Mitchell. Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.
,
Landscape and Power
(pg.
175
-
201
)
Sontag, S. 1977.On Photography. Dell, New York.
,
On Photography
Talbot, W. H. F. 1839. Some Account of the Art of Photogenic Drawing, or, The Process by Which Natural Objects May be Made to Delineate Themselves without the Aid of the Artist's Pencil. Pp 23-31 in Photography: Essays and Images: Illustrated readings in the history of photography, edited by B. Newhall. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
,
Photography: Essays and Images: Illustrated readings in the history of photography
(pg.
23
-
31
)
Thomson, J. 1999.Hurley's Australia: Myth, Dream, Reality. National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT.
,
Hurley's Australia: Myth, Dream, Reality
Thwaites, T., Davis, L. and Mules, W. 1994.Tools for Cultural Studies: An introduction. Macmillan, South Melbourne, Vic.
,
Tools for Cultural Studies: An introduction
Troughton, E. 1943. The kangaroo Family: Rat kangaroos, I. The Australian Museum Magazine 8: 171-175.
,
The kangaroo Family: Rat kangaroos, I
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
8
(pg.
171
-
175
)
Troughton, E. 1944. The kangaroo Family: Rat kangaroos, II. The Australian Museum Magazine 8: 204-209.
,
The kangaroo Family: Rat kangaroos, II
,
The Australian Museum Magazine
, vol.
8
(pg.
204
-
209
)
Walsh, G. P. 1979. Burrell, Henry James in Australian Dictionary of Biography vol. 7 edited by B. Nairn and G. Searle. Melbourne U. P., Melbourne, Vic.
,
Australian Dictionary of Biography
, vol.
7
Whitely, G. P. 1973. I remember the thylacine. Koolewong 2: 10-12.
,
I remember the thylacine
,
Koolewong
, vol.
2
(pg.
10
-
12
)
Wollen, P. 1989. Fire and Ice. In Other than Itself: Writing photography, edited by Berger, John X and Richon, Olivier. Corner House Publications, Manchester, UK.
,
Other than Itself: Writing photography
Wright, C. 2003. Supple Bodies: The Papua New Guinea photographs of Captain Francis R. Barton 1899-1907. Pp 146-169 in Photography's Other Histories, edited by C. Pinney and N. Peterson. Duke University Press, Durham/London.
,
Photography's Other Histories
(pg.
146
-
169
)
This content is only available as a PDF.