But they are targeting the wrong time period with their anger.
It’s like with the witch hunts which are associated with the middle ages but happened later.
What's the point of getting angry about something that happened so long ago that the angry people's grandparents weren't born yet?
> the contents of the picture definitely existed
No it didn't, according to the article, 3 year olds weren't chimney sweeps and the tools the child carries are not the appropriate size.
It is as much as a reenactment as a kid in a cow-boy costume today. Having a kid dress up like their daddy at work is cute, and I am sure that that's how people saw it.
But a long time have passed, and it is easy to imagine people of the past as some kind of barbarians. Sure, they did some things that are unacceptable now, but we are missing a lot of nuance.
People were angry (rightfully so) at children chimney sweeps and they definitely existed, were abused and did die/have horrible problems/etc.
So the outrage is justified. Now, the specific picture isn't true/authentic, but the contents of the picture definitely existed did.
So is it wrong?