Back in college (about…yeesh, 8 years ago), a man came to our school that was a quasi-professional ghost debunker; we was a hardcore skeptic who investigated spook lights, mystery spots, hauntings, etc. Anyway, he said that only two pictures of “ghosts” had ever shocked him, and he showed us one of them. It was a very “swirly” ghost on a staircase, but damn, it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. Does anyone know the picture? Is it famous?
Was it the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall? It’s pretty famous over here, and has allegedly stood up to whatever scrutiny it’s been subjected to.
(And clearly faked, IMO.)
The “Brown Lady”, photographed at Raynham Hall in England in 1936. It looks like an easily faked double exposure of someone wearing a sheet, but reportedly several people present during the shooting saw the apparition.
Yes, I think that’s it. Thanks!
If you want more info, there’s a brief article about this photo in the Nov. 2006 issue of the Fortean Times.
The Brown Lady Of Raynham Hall?
There was an analysis of the photo in a recent Fortean Times
Darn, spent some time looking for the FT for the article.
There is at least one other similar photo that I know of: the Gray Lady of Liberty Hall taken in Frankfort, Kentucky. Both photos (Gray and Brown) are discussed briefly in Joe Nickell’s Camera Clues pp 156-58.
Oh, BTW, I think it’s actually the October issue (#215), which I can’t seem to find right now.
It is #215–but #215 is the November issue, not the October one. It’s the one with the Star Trek cover story.
Strange, my copy of #216 (cover story Stone Age Story) is dated Nov 2006.
Maybe its dated differently for the overseas edition, or something.
I think it is, and the covers are often different too.