History Main / SecretSocietyGroupPicture

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/152deb78ebc5f221345880920176.jpg]]]]

* One of the episodes of ''VideoGame/{{Hitman2}}'' features, in addition to [[ProfessionalKiller the usual goal]], evidence-finding. One of these pieces of evidence is a picture of the founders of the Ark Society.

* During TheWarOnTerror, some of the [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks American military staff]] at the infamous [[HellholePrison Abu Ghraib prison]] in UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}} had the bright idea to photograph each other inflicting ColdBloodedTorture on prisoners. This came back to bite them in the ass once these photos ended up aiding the prosecution during war crime trials.

* In the first ''ComicBook/{{Grandville}}'', Inspector Lebrock finds an old photo that contains the (then) future French Prime Minister, his main CorruptCorporateExecutive supporter, his (then) future ministers of military and secret police and the GadgeteerGenius whose death Lebrock was investigating. It is one of the main pieces of evidence that ties the case together. In this instance, the photo was from a hunting party where a group photo would be a logical thing to happen. It just happened to contain all main players of the conspiracy.
* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Providence}}'' has a photograph of the Order of the Stella Sapiente taken by Ronald Underwood Pitman. Pitman notes that he was chosen by the group because he was a man of discretion (he has enough ghoulish secrets of his own to hide). The people in the photo are Garland and Leticia Wheatley (as a young girl), Edgar Wade, Henry Anneseley and at the center of the picture, Van Buren (aka Whipple Van Buren Phillips, Lovecraft's maternal grandfather [[RaisedByGrandparents who helped raise him]]) and next to him, a travelling salesman with an English accent identified by Pitman as "Winston something" (he is in fact Winfield Scott Lovecraft, HP's Dad).

* The film of ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' loves this trope. During the opening credits alone we see a sepia toned photo of the original 1940 era Minutemen, the photograph taken at the first Silk Spectre's leaving meal and a picture of the new generation of Watchmen standing in front of an American flag.

* ''Film/TheUntouchables'': The eponymous group of officers are celebrating at a local restaurant when Scoop, the sympathetic reporter, shows up with a camera. Ness allows him to get a picture, but forbids its publication.

* ''Vitals'' by Creator/GregBear has one of these. Late in the story the main characters find an old photo of the evil secret society that's been pursuing them. Cue shocked recognition, as one of the other main characters is in the photo and is revealed to be part of TheConspiracy.
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/ToSailBeyondTheSunset'', a photographer takes a photograph of Maureen Johnson, her daughter, her granddaughter, her great-granddaughter, and her great-great-granddaughter at a family wedding. One of the Howard Family Trustees points out that it could endanger the Howard Families' {{Masquerade}} if a photograph of five suspiciously young looking generations of the same family were leaked to the press.

* One of the episodes of ''VideoGame/{{Hitman2}}'' features, in addition to [[ProfessionalKiller the usual goal]], evidence-finding. One of these evidences is a picture of the founders of the Ark Society.

* In the animated series of ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'' an episode focused on the founding members of MIB. The photo is both this and a of the founding itself, since it shows them meeting for the first time ''and'' experiencing FirstContact. It's used as a reference for Jay, who is on the trail of someone who is using time travel to kill the founders before they can get together.

* In the 4th season of ''Series/Macgyver2016'', this is how Russ was able to find out the name of the organization they had been fighting against, [[spoiler: Codex]]; through an old photo from the 1940's that happened to reveal information about the group, which they had previously believed to be a more modern group.[[/folder]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime]]
* One appeared in episode 14 of Anime/TigerAndBunny, showing Barnaby's parents along with several other scientists (including the MadScientist who comes to [[ChekhovsGunman play an important role in the last few episodes of the series]]) and Barnaby himself as a child.

[[folder:Film]]
* In the film ''Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', there was one as well. The children find it while looking through Aunt Josephine's album.
* The initial seven agents who dealt with NBE-1 are shown in photographs on Sector 7's walls in the first ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movie.
* This becomes the huge reveal of the movie ''Film/TheVillage''.

* ''Film/MichaelCollins'' gets hold of a picture of the Cairo Gang--a team of plainclothes British intelligence officers targeting the IRA--that helps to identify them for later assassination.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', the expedition team pose for a photograph in front of their spoils. The next scene reveals that the whole thing will be covered up. There is also an earlier photo of the team that found the [[BookOfShadows Shepherd's Journal]].

[[/folder]]

* In ''{{Film/Hellboy}}'' The Professor and the army personnel all take a photo with the title character even though he is later denied to exist.

* An early scene in ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'' features Smiley visiting a retired colleague who has an old picture of the team from [[SecretIntelligenceService the Circus]].

* In the first ComicBook/{{Grandville}}, Inspector Lebrock finds an old photo that contains the (then) future French Prime Minister, his main CorruptCorporateExecutive supporter, his (then) future ministers of military and secret police and the GadgeteerGenius whose death Lebrock was investigating. It is one of the main pieces of evidence that ties the case together. In this instance, the photo was from a hunting party where a group photo would be a logical thing to happen. It just happened to contain all main players of the conspiracy.
* Creator/AlanMoore's ComicBook/{{Providence}} has a photograph of the Order of the Stella Sapiente taken by Ronald Underwood Pitman. Pitman notes that he was chosen by the group because he was a man of discretion (he has enough ghoulish secrets of his own to hide). The people in the photo are Garland and Leticia Wheatley (as a young girl), Edgar Wade, Henry Anneseley and at the center of the picture, Van Buren (aka Whipple Van Buren Phillips, Lovecraft's maternal grandfather [[RaisedByGrandparents who helped raise him]]) and next to him, a travelling salesman with an English accent identified by Pitman as "Winston something" (he is in fact Winfield Scott Lovecraft, HP's Dad).

Then somehow everyone is called together for a group picture that gives away the connections between every member at a glance, from a glowering glance to a fond smile, and the professional photographer says 'Cheese!'. They even stick around long enough that everyone there can get a copy for their nemesis, children or investigators to find!

* Every graduating class of ComicBook/{{X-Men}} takes such a picture in uniform. While the X-Men do wear uniforms, they are generally considered a secret society because the world at large has no idea who they are, where they come from, and where they go. And they are not a ''recognized'' superhero group like ComicBook/TheAvengers or the ComicBook/FantasticFour.

* The Afrikaaner Brotherhood's top brass at least took one photo, in 1918, long before they were discovered.

* The Order of the Phoenix in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series has one, though its members were openly against Voldemort: Only their location was hidden.

* Some of the American military staff at the infamous [[HellholePrison Abu Ghraib prison]] in UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}} had the bright idea to photograph each other inflicting ColdBloodedTorture on prisoners. This came back to bite them in the ass once these photos ended up aiding the prosecution during war crime trials.

* Creator/AlanMoore's ComicBook/{{Providence}} has a photograph of the Order of the Stella Sapiente taken by Ronald Underwood Pitman. Pitman notes that he was chosen by the group because he was a man of discretion (presumably because he had something to hide himself). The people in the photo are Garland and Leticia Wheatley (as a young girl), Edgar Wade, Henry Anneseley and at the center of the picture, Van Buren (aka Whipple Van Buren Phillips, Lovecraft's maternal grandfather [[RaisedByGrandparents who helped raise him]]) and next to him, a travelling salesman with an English accent identified by Pitman as "Winston something" (he is in fact Winfield Scott Lovecraft, HP's Dad).