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What standard should dictate the pictures that accompany famous people in the dictionary? Never mind whether a dictionary should ever feature individuals' pictures, which it should not. Of course pictures of complex objects or uncommon animals should be included: first, pictures break up the monotony of words, and second, some objects benefit from the flesh of drawing. But what type of photo should we use. The current order features very flattering headshots, as if the person selected the picture himself. But what if that person is generally thought to be a knave? Should we feature them as society fashions them? Should we have a copy editor email Stalin's relatives for advice on what pictures that mighty mustached maniac would most approve of? If photos were chosen based on popular consent, such a process lends itself to an unfathomable degree of subjectivity that, ironically, would attract only the knavish-when rogues rule rogues that's one thing, when knaves rule all, well, that is quite another. Clearly popular consent is sidelined. Fine. We'll use the best photo we can find.
