Redneck Mansion Photograph

Summary:
Circulating photograph of an unusual structure made from a collection of stacked caravans (trailers) is falsely labelled as a "redneck mansion" (Full commentary below).



Example:(Submitted, March 2008)


Commentary:
A photograph of an intriguing and unusual "collection" of stacked caravans (trailers) is currently circulating

Image submitted by site visitor, March 2008

via email and has also been posted to numerous blogs and forums. The photograph is simply identified as a "redneck mansion". The implication is that some comparatively well-to-do "redneck" has assembled a large collection of portable dwellings into one towering edifice.

At first glance, this might seem like a reasonable assumption. However, the true origin of the image is far different from the fictional description attached to it. In fact, the structure is an elaborate outdoor set for the Theater het Amsterdam Bos, a Dutch theater group. The set was created by Catherina Scholten for a 2005 production of Anton Chekhov's Ivanov.

The alternative, wider-angled, view of the theater shown on the right includes the attending audience in the shot and immediately reveals the true purpose of the supposed "redneck mansion".

Other photographs of the set published on adaptivereuse.net and elsewhere on the Internet also include views of patrons watching the performance.

It appears that some unknown prankster has carefully selected or cropped a photograph of the set and added the "redneck mansion" label before launching it into cyberspace.

References:
Theater het Amsterdamse Bos
Over het theater: Ivanov (Scroll down for reference)
Well I'll be a seagull!
Aukje (Scroll down for reference)
Openluchttheater

Last updated: 16th March 2008
First published: 16th March 2008

Write-up by Brett M. Christensen