Will The Real Birdman Please Stand Up

Okay class, time for a quiz. Johnny, sit down please. Put your phones away. Mabel, stop hitting Johnny. Yes, I know he’s not sitting down, he will. Johnny? Thanks.

So I have a quiz for you today. I’m going to show you four different photos and I want you to tell me if you notice anything – peculiar, anything that shouldn’t be. Yes, Frederick? Frederick, class will end at 10:40 just as it always does, just as it has for the last eight weeks. Yes, Elizabeth? No I really don’t have an opinion on stewed beets, because I don’t eat beets. I hate beets. Okay, put your hands down. No more questions.

Now listen up. Take a look at these and tell me if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Images come from your textbooks, though to call these books textbooks is certainly a mischaracterization. The books are American Art History, Volume I, Drawing American Art, Volume I and American Art Bingo, Volume I.

• Gallery Image:

  Original / Forgery

• Gallery Image:

  Bingo Card

• Gallery Image:

  Drawing Title Page

• Gallery Image:

  Book Text & Photo

So, what do you think? Yes, one of them does look like a drawing because it is a drawing. Yes, Frank, I was also fairly certain that was not a real paperclip in the fourth photo. The money? Pretty sure that’s not real either. No that’s not a self-portrait. Very funny.

Let’s start over. Look at each Birdman, there are five of them, what do you see? Yes, he does have a rather big nose. Any other ideas? Let me give you a clue – no, let’s not. Give up? Here’s the thing.

The original and forgery are reversed. The “Original” should be the “Forgery” and vice versa. The Bingo Card, the Drawing Title page and the Book Text and Photo are all correct showing the real Birdman. No one caught this in American Art History, Volume I until Rebecca in Stamford, Connecticut noticed it last week. The author didn’t catch it, the author’s husband didn’t catch it (I would have if I had known it was there!), a woman who has been teaching this curriculum for years didn’t catch it, dozens, if not hundreds, of students over the years didn’t catch it either. Only Rebecca from Stamford, Connecticut noticed it. We are not worthy, Rebecca! We humbly bow before your great eye (not to be confused with the great eye of Sauron)!

For such an astounding catch we’re sending Rebecca three free map books and Serious Fun: Homeschooling with Real Books. We will fix this error in the next edition. I only hope the Birdman is not offended by our egregious error.