# Gruesome Mid-20th Century Photography Herbert List Captured Surreal Images Way Before Photoshop By Meghan Young | Published 2014-09-27 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mid20th-century-photography References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/09/25/herbert-lists-surreal-gruesome-photographs/) & [robertmillergallery](http://www.robertmillergallery.com/) The mid-20th century photography of Herbert List, a [surrealist photographer](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery) working from the mid-1930s through the 1960s, looks incredibly realistic. Executing dream-like images before Photoshop seems like an arduous challenge few would be willing to explore, yet of course that is not actually the case. This series of gruesome mid-20th century photography shows that such attention to detail and reality in an unreal way can be just as rewarding physically rather than digitally. Influenced by the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico, the black and white mid-20th century photography series revolves around fake scientific models with their skin cut away and their guts partially exposed. Unnerving, moody and strange, the images focus on a disturbing [documentary style of photography](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nonnas-cam) that gives them an even more realistic feel. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.2/10 - Popularity: 90% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Photography](https://www.trendhunter.com/stylephotography) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Surrealist Photography:** The trend of surrealistic photography creates opportunities for innovative techniques and digital editing software. - **Gruesome Imagery:** The trend for gruesome and unsettling imagery creates opportunities for alternative forms of art and storytelling. - **Documentary-style Photography:** The trend for documentary-style photography creates opportunities for creative storytelling and photojournalist techniques. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art and Photography:** The art and photography industry can utilize surrealistic and unsettling imagery to create unique and captivating works. - **Film and Television:** The film and television industry can use these documentary-style and gruesome images to enhance storytelling and visual effects. - **Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality:** The virtual and augmented reality industry can use these surrealistic and realistic images to create immersive experiences and alternate realities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Generated Retrofuturistic Objects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retrofuturistic-objects.md) - [Painting-Immersive Photo Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-ground-exhibition.md) - [Blurry Abstract Photography Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/optical-allusion.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [Dramatic Doomsday Bunker Images](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alastair-philip-wiper.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md) - [Unique Artistic Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amusebouche.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Imperfect Photography Celebrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nonnas-cam.md)