Why is man sitting on dead horse?
‘Who is that mysterious, elegant man? And why is he sitting on a dead horse?
Such are the questions sparked by a black-and-white photograph taken in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, between 1876 and 1884 that has led to nationwide curiosity, speculation and jokes.
It’s a picture of a mustachioed man in a suit and top hat who sits rakishly on the side of an expired horse in the middle of a dusty street. [..]
Some of the ideas about what the picture depicts include the thoughtful — it was staged for a political campaign perhaps related to sanitation issues — to the bizarre — the horse is being helped to relieve “excess flatulence.”‘
