Tourist guy
Péter Guzli | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hungary |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Known for | Tourist Guy internet meme and hoax photograph |
Tourist guy became an internet phenomenon through a digitally manipulated image portraying a tourist standing on the observation deck of the World Trade Center, with a plane seemingly about to strike the tower during the September 11 attacks. This picture rapidly gained viral status shortly after the events, spawning numerous altered versions shared online. The individual shown was later identified as Péter Guzli, a Hungarian who originally captured the photo in 1997 and admitted to editing it as a humorous prank for friends, without anticipating its broad circulation.
He has also been referred to by several nicknames such as the accidental tourist (alluding to the novel and film The Accidental Tourist), Waldo (from Where's Waldo?), the WTC Guy, and the tourist of death.
Origin
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, this image circulated widely through spam emails, falsely asserting it had been retrieved from a camera discovered among the World Trade Center debris. These messages claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had developed the photograph as evidence and recently made it available online.
Composition
The picture shows a man outfitted in a beanie, thick jacket, and backpack standing on the World Trade Center’s observation deck. A jet is seen flying at low altitude toward the building, implying an imminent crash. It was purportedly taken just seconds before the attacks commenced.
According to Hoaxapedia, the online encyclopedia of the Museum of Hoaxes, several discrepancies confirm that this photograph is fabricated. These include:
- The morning temperature in New York City during the attacks was , yet the man is dressed in heavy winter attire.
- The man is positioned on the South Tower’s observation deck; however, since the North Tower—lacking such a deck—was struck first, it is improbable that this photo was captured before impact.
- Smoke from the North Tower would have enveloped the South Tower’s rooftop within seconds after being hit, but here, the observation deck appears clear.
- United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower from the south side, but Midtown Manhattan is visible behind the man, indicating a northern approach consistent with American Airlines Flight 11. The plane in the image bears American Airlines markings.
- Both hijacked planes were Boeing 767 models; nonetheless, this image shows a Boeing 757.
- Given its high velocity, the plane would likely be blurred in an authentic photograph.
- Both aircraft crashed while banking left; however, this plane flies level without any banking.
- It is unlikely that someone would continue taking photos as a plane approached for collision.
- A digital camera probably would not survive being dropped from such a height.
- The South Tower observation deck opened at 9:30 a.m., but Flight 175 impacted at 9:02:59 a.m.
- The photo’s white balance does not align with reality; if authentic, the plane should appear more yellow compared to the deck railing.
- The image’s timestamp seems to have been added during editing rather than generated by a camera.
- Shadow directions in the photo are incorrect, indicating manipulation of the image.
Later appearances
This image evolved into a prominent internet meme. As its fame expanded, internet users inserted the tourist into a variety of scenarios, including catastrophic events such as the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the assassination of JFK, the crash of Air France Flight 4590, and the Hindenburg disaster. Additional alterations depicted him in settings like a Melbourne tram, the obliteration of the White House in Independence Day, Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo, or portrayed as the bus driver in Speed. He was also featured alongside other well-known digitally altered figures such as Bert from Sesame Street.
Identity
The initial individual claiming to be the tourist was Brazilian entrepreneur José Roberto Penteado. Nevertheless, after Penteado attracted media coverage and received a commercial proposal from Volkswagen, a 25-year-old Hungarian named Péter Guzli stepped forward as the authentic tourist. Guzli chose to maintain a low profile and initially refrained from disclosing his last name.
Guzli captured the photograph on November 28, 1997, and produced the original edited version. He explained that he created it for friends without expecting it to become widely popular. To confirm his identity, he supplied the original image along with other photos from the same shoot to a Hungarian newspaper. Subsequently, Wired News validated Guzli as the true subject behind this iconic internet phenomenon.
External links
- Internet memes introduced in 2001
- September 11 attacks
- Internet humor
- 20th-century Hungarian photographers
- 21st-century Hungarian photographers
- American urban legends
- Color photographs
- Internet hoaxes
- Photography forgeries
- 2001 hoaxes
- Photographs of the United States
- 2001 works
- 2001 in art
- 2000s photographs
- Hoaxes in the United States