It's Driving Me Nuts! — Gordon H. Burt, c. 1930 | Surreal Photography Hoodie
IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!
One familiar expression. One extraordinary photograph. And a joke made almost a century before Photoshop.
What does a headache really look like?
Around 1930, New Zealand photographer Gordon H. Burt created an extraordinary photomontage: a miniature construction worker operating a pneumatic drill directly on top of a man's head.
The man's expression suggests discomfort. The worker continues drilling.
An invisible sensation has become a visible absurdity.
BEFORE PHOTOSHOP
Gordon H. Burt (1893–1968) was a pioneering commercial photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand.
During the 1920s and 1930s, photographers were already experimenting with techniques that could transform ordinary photographs into impossible scenes.
Through darkroom manipulation, superimposition, and photomontage, they altered scale, combined separate images, and challenged the apparent truthfulness of photography.
Burt became particularly known for his inventive approach to commercial photography.
His untitled photomontage with a pneumatic drill demonstrates how photographic manipulation could turn a familiar experience into an absurd visual joke.
Long before digital editing, photography was already capable of creating convincing impossibilities.
THE DESIGN — TWO SIDES, ONE JOKE
On the front of this black hoodie appears a familiar English idiom:
IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!
An expression of frustration, irritation, or the feeling that something is becoming unbearable.
Turn around, and the words acquire an entirely new meaning.
The back features Burt's remarkable photographic montage: a tiny worker drilling into a man's head.
The front presents the expression. The back delivers the visual punchline.
A small experiment in language, photography, and the absurd.
THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH
Gordon H. Burt, Untitled (Montage with Pneumatic Drill), circa 1930.
Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.
Explore the original photograph:
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/39537
READING FRAMES — WEARABLE ARCHIVES
Reading Frames is an independent artistic project exploring archival photography, visual culture, and the changing relationship between images and their meanings.
Our Wearable Archives collection brings remarkable photographs into contemporary clothing, sometimes preserving their original context and sometimes creating unexpected new connections.
PRODUCT DETAILS
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Black unisex relaxed-fit hoodie
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Vintage-inspired typographic design on the front
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Large historical photomontage on the back
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Black-and-white photographic composition
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Produced individually on demand
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Printed and shipped by our production partner
Reading Frames — Wearable Archives
Before Photoshop, there was imagination.
More details
- 80% cotton, 20% recycled polyester fleece
- Heavyweight fabric (9.4 oz)
- Relaxed fit
- Lined pullover hood with no drawcord
- Dropped shoulders
- Kangaroo pocket in front
- Sleeve cuff ribbing
- Tear-away tag
Disclaimer: The brushed interior of this hoodie tends to shed. To reduce visible traces of lint on clothes, avoid wearing dark colors under light-colored clothes and vice versa.
EU GPSR Product Information:
- Manufacturer contact information
- Name: Reading Frames
- Email: reading-frames-shop@support.fourthwall.com
- Postal address: PO Box 5696 Santa Monica, CA 90405
- Additional information: This product is made for adults. The brushed interior of this hoodie tends to shed. To reduce visible traces of lint on clothes, avoid wearing dark colors under light-colored clothes and vice versa. Meets the formaldehyde, lead, cadmium, bisphenols, phthalates level requirements. 2 year warranty in EEA and UK, established by Directive 1999/44/EC.
Quality Guarantee & Returns
- Quality is guaranteed. If there is a print error or visible quality issue, we'll replace or refund it.
- Because the products are made to order, we do not accept general returns or sizing-related returns.
It's Driving Me Nuts! — Gordon H. Burt, c. 1930 | Surreal Photography Hoodie Size Guide
| Size label | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
|
S
|
27.75
|
22 1/2
|
22 1/2
|
|
M
|
28.75
|
23 1/2
|
22 1/2
|
|
L
|
29.75
|
24.75
|
24.25
|
|
XL
|
30.75
|
26
|
24.25
|
|
2XL
|
31.75
|
27.25
|
25 1/2
|
|
3XL
|
32.75
|
28.25
|
27
|
