See the jackalope, other tall tale postcards at Arlington Hts. museum

Have you ever seen a jackalope? A real live ... OK, a stuffed one is part of the exhibit, “Storytelling Through the Mail: Tall Tale Postcards” at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 112 W. Fremont St.

The exhibit, which comes from Michigan State University Museum, will be at the Arlington museum through Aug. 28.

In addition to 80 examples of “tall tale” postcards, there also are taxidermy specimens, newspaper cartoons and magazine covers.

This form of popular humor dates to the early 20th century. Artists created tall tale scenes on postcards by piecing together regular-sized images with enlargements or by juxtaposing two images that would not normally go together.

Trickery of photography characterizes much of the genre: Check out the fish catch overflowing the boat or the ear of corn larger than the wagon.

Besides the jackalope, a popular creature was the fur-bearing trout. And no one who sees it will forget the 1965-era image of a hunter tied on top of a car with a deer head behind the wheel.

Frontier Days Inc. gave a grant for the exhibit.