During the postcard boom of the early 20th century, people became fascinated with humorous "giant crop" images showing absurdly oversized produce and animals. Advances in printing and lower mailing costs helped make collectible giant-crop postcards incredibly popular across America.
Many of these exaggerated postcards (as seen on the Public Domain Review) came from farming regions in the western United States, where agriculture was central to local identity. Using photo tricks and collage techniques, artists created scenes filled with gigantic onions, huge fish, towering corn, and other impossible harvests.
A well-known California series published by Edward H. Mitchell featured railroad cars loaded with enormous oranges, grapes, apples, and walnuts rolling through farmland. The images are simple but striking, giving the oversized fruit an almost surreal, painted appearance.
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