Tacky Tourist Photos

SUBMITTED BY: Peggy Dillon and Adrienne Lopes   LOCATION: Ellis Island, New York (2010) A brilliant exercise in historical product placement, Mattel and Ellis Island have teamed up to let you explore your ethnic heritage through cocktail dresses and itsy bitsy pairs of shoes. “Wouldn’t Barbie have had a pink boat, complete with a hair [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Darren Garnick   LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010) Everyone knows how to retrace the historical steps of Sylvester Stallone. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a lot more accessible to tourists than the snowbanks of Siberia — if you have your heart set on recreating Rocky IV. But did you know that you can run [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Dana Prey   LOCATION: Cairo, Egypt (2009) Wanna recreate the sensation of getting sensual with the Sphinx?  Go kiss a bucket of sand! (Dana Prey is a bacon-loving Southern belle living in New England, who documents her competitive cycling addiction on her “Wall of Pain.”) CURATOR’S PICK — Do you LOVE photographing ancient [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Tamar M.  LOCATION: Yellowstone National Park, Montana (2009) If Yellowstone Park were South Park, here’s what the tourism poster model would look like. More proof that deep within each and every one of us is the spirit of an 11-year-old boy! (You can recreate this pose in the privacy of your own home [...]

Thanks to NPR’s “Here and Now” program for today’s shoutout to Tacky Tourist Photos by replaying its 2010 interview with co-founders Ilya Mirman and Darren Garnick (fellow visionary Peter Koziell was with us in spirit). Amongst the FASCINATING tidbits you’ll learn are: * Strategies for invading South American countries with pretty college co-eds. * How [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Brian Henderson   LOCATION: Houston, Texas (2011) The shiny mascot of Goode’s Armadillo Palace — a local BBQ and music joint — looks sweet and innocent by day. But after nightfall, it turns evil. Be forewarned! (Brian Henderson is a photojournalist with an appetite as huge as the Golden Gate Bridge.)

SUBMITTED BY: Cosmo Macero Jr.   LOCATION: Springfield, Mass. (2011) There’s no pleasant way to say this, but the Basketball Hall of Fame has immortalized Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as an anorexic. It wasn’t Mahatma Gandhi who fought for Celtics Pride against the oppressive Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It wasn’t Nicole Richie who teamed [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Ari Zackin   LOCATION: Dead Sea, Israel (2010) How much actual reading gets done in the Dead Sea is unknown, but posing with a magazine or newspaper to “prove” it won’t get wet is a classic Israeli (and Jordanian) photo-op! (Ari Zackin will do anything to model for Tacky Tourist Photos, even take a [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Eugene Mirman   LOCATION: Moab, Utah (2011) On the right, Eugene’s horse is named Dalton. Katie’s horse is named Cisco. Years from now when they have grandchildren — Cisco and Dalton, not Eugene and Katie — they will be flipping through their photo album and reminiscing about their days working the trails at the [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Ari G.    LOCATION: Easton, Pennsylvania (2010) Lots of kids chew Crayola’s non-toxic wax, so we suppose the plexiglass prevents the World’s Largest Crayon from being decorated with teeth marks. (Ari G. is a frequent TTP model who recently yanked the Liberty Bell from its hinges.)

SUBMITTED BY: David Pryke   LOCATION: Carlsbad, California (2010) We’re usually blown away by the realism captured in most official LEGO sculptures, but the essence of the Evil Empire isn’t looming over LEGOLAND. Whether they fight with light sabers or their bare hands, our bets are on the mild-mannered guy in the plaid shirt and shorts! [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Vinnie Raponi    LOCATION: Cairo, Egypt (2009) While peaceful Egyptian mobs are beating the crap out of American journalists, TTP is sharpening its focus on the cuter side of Cairo. If Vinnie’s sharp fingernails get any closer, he’ll soon find out if the Great Pyramids of Giza are real or if they are cheap [...]

We almost fell out of our chairs when we recently saw the opening scene of “Despicable Me,” the Steve Carell animated feature about a villain with poor self-esteem. The first few minutes of the film focus on tourists taking goofy pictures of themselves in front of the pyramids and doing the “Walk Like an Egyptian” [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Barrie and Ilya Mirman   LOCATION: Vietnam (2011) If you think this picture is a cute affirmation of warm U.S.-Vietnam relations, wait till you see the honeymoon photos!

SUBMITTED BY: Ursula K. LOCATION: Boston, Massachusetts (2010) At least in Boston or Philadelphia, dressing like Ben Franklin makes you an instant chick magnet.