Most Unflattering Depictions

I'd use the U**y word - but I don't want to offend the good folks of the community - however I am quite interested to see the depictions of people that mmm... let's say you'd be disappointed if one of your kids brought them home as their date or really really angry if one your friends set you up on a blind date. Or maybe people who are just plain aesthetically challenged.

Here is my votes to get things started.

I'm not sure you could call that an unflattering depiction of our first Prime Minister and Father of Confederation. Sir John A. really looked like that.

He looks far more charming in real life than in the caricature for the stamp.

"beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

Unquestionably a great mind; his hair and mustache is another matter, even after two depictions on US postage stamps:

Another recent definitive for Hattie W. Caraway. I've always chuckled as the depiction of her hairdo in this portrayal, although there is no accounting for period hairstyles from that day:

Mharaja Sardul Singh of Kishangarh State in India, before



and after

This portrait of Assad #1 looks like it was based on a photo taken with a fisheye lens - his head is way out of proportion to the rest. And poor seasick Marconi is rather lamentable as well. (There's also a nasty pulled perf on the Canadian Postal Archives' copy of that stamp.)

Ryan

Ok, I'll play.
I've posted these stamps before, and complained about the quality of the portraits of the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

The left side portrait of Her Majesty is perfect on this one, but Maggie doesn't even resemble the real thing. I know there were those of you who disagreed with me.



And I don't know who these two are, certainly not the royal princesses.






I still say my Mother bears more than a passing resemblance to Margaret at that time. You be the judge.



I could be a royal! You'd all have to bow to me.

Ryan: that Marconi-Signal Hill stamp (1974 Canada Scott#654) makes me sick just looking at it. It doesn't even improve when you hold it at arm's-length.

Jamesw: great picture of your Mom. Great candidate for a Mona Lisa smile.

Tuvalu children. Egads.

Thanks cynical. She was an enigma, that's for sure.

This is a 1979 GB airletter with a portrait of Roland Hill. It looks as though the designer took the worst possible picture of his head and added it to some random body.

Interesting topic! I've been looking through Scott catalogs from the library, and WOW are there a LOT of VERY bad drawings of people on some stamps!!

How about if you had to hang upside down?



Dominican Republic 1902 20c rose & black "Ramon Mella"

The USPS didn't do Robert Frost much in terms of the depiction of his image on a postage stamp:



But then again, he wasn't exactly the finest looking gentleman (great poet, though):