Extra leg on back of $2 bill?

[Jeff Wisnia]

Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

Jeff

[James Gifford]

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

It's reasonably well known. I don't think anyone has ever figured it out or
explained it. If you look at the original painting, I believe it's TJ's
foot and leg, but in a different orientation.

Hmm, can't find a good web site for the $2, with or without commentary on
the foot.

[Lalbert1]

Post by James Gifford

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

It's reasonably well known. I don't think anyone has ever figured it out or
explained it. If you look at the original painting, I believe it's TJ's
foot and leg, but in a different orientation.

There is nothing to explain. If you look carefully at the scene you can see
three pairs of shoes with buckles on them. They belong to Jefferson, Adams,
and Robert Sherman. The left foot of Jefferson is extended in what seems to be
an un-natural perspective (bad engraver?) so it looks like an extra leg under
the table.

Post by James Gifford
Hmm, can't find a good web site for the $2, with or without commentary on
the foot.

Easy to find - google on United States two dollar bill, or go to:

http://www.pomexport.com/N-USA%20$2%20Regular/N-USA%20$2%20Regular.htm

Les


Les

[James Gifford]

Post by Lalbert1

Post by James Gifford

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an
"extra" leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the
US $2 bill?

It's reasonably well known. I don't think anyone has ever figured it
out or explained it. If you look at the original painting, I believe
it's TJ's foot and leg, but in a different orientation.

There is nothing to explain. If you look carefully at the scene you
can see three pairs of shoes with buckles on them. They belong to
Jefferson, Adams, and Robert Sherman. The left foot of Jefferson is
extended in what seems to be an un-natural perspective (bad engraver?)
so it looks like an extra leg under the table.

I think there's a lot to explain; if that's TJ's foot, he is eight and a
half feet tall on that side. It is such a gross error of positioning and
perspective (and of the original painting) that it's nearly impossible to
explain how it got past the designer and various design reviewers.

Post by Lalbert1

Post by James Gifford
Hmm, can't find a good web site for the $2, with or without commentary
on the foot.

http://www.pomexport.com/N-USA%20$2%20Regular/N-USA%20$2%20Regular.htm

Arrgh. Couldn't get anything like that to come up.

[Lalbert1]

Post by James Gifford

Post by Lalbert1
There is nothing to explain. If you look carefully at the scene you
can see three pairs of shoes with buckles on them. They belong to
Jefferson, Adams, and Robert Sherman. The left foot of Jefferson is
extended in what seems to be an un-natural perspective (bad engraver?)
so it looks like an extra leg under the table.

I think there's a lot to explain; if that's TJ's foot, he is eight and a
half feet tall on that side. It is such a gross error of positioning and
perspective (and of the original painting) that it's nearly impossible to
explain how it got past the designer and various design reviewers.

On closer examination of the painting by Trumbull
(www.americanrevolution.org/declg.html), I don't think it is an engraving
error. Study the painting for a while and I think you will agree that Trumbull
got the perspective and height relationships wrong.

Les

[James Gifford]

Post by Lalbert1
On closer examination of the painting by Trumbull
(www.americanrevolution.org/declg.html), I don't think it is an
engraving error. Study the painting for a while and I think you will
agree that Trumbull got the perspective and height relationships
wrong.

The painting definitely has TJ doing something weird under the table and
makes him appear to be built like a giraffe. I think you're right: it's
partly the original image, and partly that the engraving exaggerates or
enhances the odd positioning.

I recall looking at a real $2 and a good copy of the painting a while ago
and coming to different conclusions, though - I'll have to dig around and
see if I have any of the first-day twos conveniently at hand and find a
larger print of the painting.

There isn't any natural way TJ's foot could be where it is given his body
position, though. I wonder if Trumbull changed the composition and left
some details unfixed.

[August Derleth]

Post by James Gifford

Post by Lalbert1

Post by James Gifford

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an
"extra" leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the
US $2 bill?

It's reasonably well known. I don't think anyone has ever figured it
out or explained it. If you look at the original painting, I believe
it's TJ's foot and leg, but in a different orientation.

There is nothing to explain. If you look carefully at the scene you
can see three pairs of shoes with buckles on them. They belong to
Jefferson, Adams, and Robert Sherman. The left foot of Jefferson is
extended in what seems to be an un-natural perspective (bad engraver?)
so it looks like an extra leg under the table.

I think there's a lot to explain; if that's TJ's foot, he is eight and a
half feet tall on that side. It is such a gross error of positioning and
perspective (and of the original painting) that it's nearly impossible to
explain how it got past the designer and various design reviewers.

"Good Enough for Government Work: It's not just for helicopters anymore."

More seriously, there are irregularities in the original painting and I
don't suppose anyone was especially eager to mess with a masterpiece. Even
if the masterpiece sucked like a med-school grad with student loans.

Besides, who'd ever notice?

[Binyamin Dissen]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 11:52:20 -0400 Jeff Wisnia <***@conversent.net> wrote:

:>Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
:>leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

Please mail a few samples so that I can form an opinion.

--
Binyamin Dissen <***@dissensoftware.com>
http://www.dissensoftware.com

[James Gifford]

Post by Binyamin Dissen

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

Please mail a few samples so that I can form an opinion.

Sure thing. Oh, pop a few of those nonexistent IDF nukes in a box and send
them this way so we can ditto.

[Scott P]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 11:52:20 -0400, Jeff Wisnia

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?
Jeff

I never thought f it as an extra leg just that someone's leg is kinda
twisted at an odd angle. It's probably an anomoly in the original
painting the scene was based on.

Scott

[Blinky the Shark]

Post by Scott P
On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 11:52:20 -0400, Jeff Wisnia

Post by Jeff Wisnia
Is it just me, or do others also notice what appears to be an "extra"
leg under the table in the group picture on the back of the US $2 bill?

I never thought f it as an extra leg just that someone's leg is kinda
twisted at an odd angle. It's probably an anomoly in the original
painting the scene was based on.

It's been documented as an old football injury.

[Rich Clancey]

Post by Blinky the Shark
It's been documented as an old football injury.

Breughel's painting of The Wedding Feast contains a famous Extra
Leg. It's in the right foreground where the guys are carrying
festive bowls of porridge on what appears to be an old door.
The extra leg is under the door somewhere.

I think the $2 bill painting was just following a noble
tradition.

[k***@checkmysig.com]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 23:04:21 +0000 (UTC), Rich Clancey

Post by Rich Clancey

Post by Blinky the Shark
It's been documented as an old football injury.

Breughel's painting of The Wedding Feast contains a famous Extra
Leg. It's in the right foreground where the guys are carrying
festive bowls of porridge on what appears to be an old door.
The extra leg is under the door somewhere.

Holy frijoles, that is hilarious! It's like something out of Monty
Python--there's just this FOOT under the door they're using to carry those
bowls, because it really looks like the fellow in front is leaning forward
and has both feet almost directly under him, but also like he's got one leg
backwards as though he's sort of leaning forward.

Loading Image...

I finally found a fairly large version of the Trumbull painting. It looks
like the weird leg is under the fellow who has his chin on his hand, in the
front row to the left of that display on the back wall of the room. What
is up with that foot?

http://www.americanrevolution.org/declg.html

I love painting bloopers.

[James Gifford]

Post by k***@checkmysig.com

Post by Rich Clancey
Breughel's painting of The Wedding Feast contains a famous Extra
Leg. It's in the right foreground where the guys are carrying
festive bowls of porridge on what appears to be an old door.
The extra leg is under the door somewhere.

Holy frijoles, that is hilarious! It's like something out of Monty
Python--there's just this FOOT under the door they're using to carry
those bowls, because it really looks like the fellow in front is
leaning forward and has both feet almost directly under him, but also
like he's got one leg backwards as though he's sort of leaning
forward.
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bruegel/wedding.jpg

I can't quite figure this one out from the image - I have to go find a
better reproduction. Are all three objects there really feet? The one
under the boards is shoeless, while every other foot in the painting has
a clunky clog on it. Very weird.

It's not great art, but there is of course the famous Bill Mauldin
cartoon of Willie and Joe with three guys... and seven hands...

Can't find a copy online. Will scan my copy if anyone's that interested.

[Les Albert]

On Tue, 04 May 2004 04:54:19 GMT, James Gifford

Post by James Gifford
It's not great art, but there is of course the famous Bill Mauldin
cartoon of Willie and Joe with three guys... and seven hands...
Can't find a copy online. Will scan my copy if anyone's that interested.

What is the caption? I want to look in my copy.

Les

[James Gifford]

Post by Les Albert

Post by James Gifford
It's not great art, but there is of course the famous Bill Mauldin
cartoon of Willie and Joe with three guys... and seven hands...
Can't find a copy online. Will scan my copy if anyone's that
interested.

What is the caption? I want to look in my copy.

"We're jest a coupla red-blooded American boys!"

Page 87 in [my beloved family copy of] _Up Front_.

Page 222 in _Bill Mauldin's Army_.

Or here: Loading Image...

Unca Bill's comments from _Up Front_:

"Because drinking is a big thing in a dogface's life, I drew many
pictures of guys wrapped around cognac bottles. I showed Willie and Joe,
stewed to the ears, telling their captain, as an alibi, that they were
'jest a coupla red-blooded American boys.'

"Too many sharp-eyed people noticed that there were three men in the
picture, and *seven* hands; therefore, they were convinced that I was
stewed to the ears myself and disqualified as a sober judge of the
drinking problem."

[Les Albert]

On Tue, 04 May 2004 04:54:19 GMT, James Gifford

Post by James Gifford

Post by k***@checkmysig.com

Post by Rich Clancey
Breughel's painting of The Wedding Feast contains a famous Extra
Leg. It's in the right foreground where the guys are carrying
festive bowls of porridge on what appears to be an old door.
The extra leg is under the door somewhere.

Holy frijoles, that is hilarious! It's like something out of Monty
Python--there's just this FOOT under the door they're using to carry
those bowls, because it really looks like the fellow in front is
leaning forward and has both feet almost directly under him, but also
like he's got one leg backwards as though he's sort of leaning
forward.
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bruegel/wedding.jpg

I can't quite figure this one out from the image - I have to go find a
better reproduction. Are all three objects there really feet? The one
under the boards is shoeless, while every other foot in the painting has
a clunky clog on it. Very weird.

If you study the picture you will see that the "shoeless" foot is the
the guy's foot. The other thing that looks like his foot is his
apron; he is wearing some black apron, like his partner is wearing a
white one. In the times depicted the kitchen help didn't have uniform
uniforms.

Les

[James Gifford]

Post by Les Albert

Post by James Gifford

Post by k***@checkmysig.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bruegel/wedding.jpg

I can't quite figure this one out from the image - I have to go find a
better reproduction. Are all three objects there really feet? The one
under the boards is shoeless, while every other foot in the painting has
a clunky clog on it. Very weird.

If you study the picture you will see that the "shoeless" foot is the
the guy's foot. The other thing that looks like his foot is his
apron; he is wearing some black apron, like his partner is wearing a
white one. In the times depicted the kitchen help didn't have uniform
uniforms.

Got it. Hard to tell from this image or any other at hand; I guess you'd
have to find a decent book image to tell.