Weird photograph: Anybody remember this?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Okay, here’s the deal:

A few years ago (I’m going from memory on all of this, so it may not be totally accurate), someone posted a link here to an Ebay auction for an old photograph. It was of a person standing in front of an old building, and the photograph was evidently pretty old, too (sepia-toned, and all). The figure had their hands covered (I don’t remember if it was gauze or gloves, but they were covered), and had something wrong with their head.

There was some debate over this picture, as no-one could quite tell exactly what was going on with the person’s face. Some thought it may have been a halloween mask, some thought they may have been a burn victim, some thought it may have been photoshopped (one “P” or two?), but I don’t recall any satisfying conclusion to the mystery.

As I recall, during the course of the thread, someone posted a link to another photograph that seemed to be shot in front of the same building (and thus was connected with the first one). It was also strange and ambiguous, IIRC.

I’ve tried searching for the thread, but can’t find it. Does anyone remember this, and (more importantly) does anyone know where I can find the image(s) in question? They creeped me out at the time, but I didn’t save them, and now I wish I had.

Any help would be appreciated, but I’ll probably have nightmares as a result. You will be forgiven for that, of course, since I asked.

But, YEESH! They were weird.

2

[QUOTE=Dijon Warlock]
Okay, here’s the deal:

A few years ago (I’m going from memory on all of this, so it may not be totally accurate), someone posted a link here to an Ebay auction for an old photograph. It was of a person standing in front of an old building, and the photograph was evidently pretty old, too (sepia-toned, and all). The figure had their hands covered (I don’t remember if it was gauze or gloves, but they were covered), and had something wrong with their head.

There was some debate over this picture, as no-one could quite tell exactly what was going on with the person’s face. Some thought it may have been a halloween mask, some thought they may have been a burn victim, some thought it may have been photoshopped (one “P” or two?), but I don’t recall any satisfying conclusion to the mystery.

As I recall, during the course of the thread, someone posted a link to another photograph that seemed to be shot in front of the same building (and thus was connected with the first one). It was also strange and ambiguous, IIRC.

I’ve tried searching for the thread, but can’t find it. Does anyone remember this, and (more importantly) does anyone know where I can find the image(s) in question? They creeped me out at the time, but I didn’t save them, and now I wish I had.

Any help would be appreciated, but I’ll probably have nightmares as a result. You will be forgiven for that, of course, since I asked.

But, YEESH! They were weird.
[/QUOTE]

I remember it. One photograph was of a woman with very odd eyes and there was a picture of a man wearing what appeared to be a mask and a straw boater hat. Odd. Searching combinations of ‘weird’, ‘photograph’ and ‘ebay’ reveals nothing. Even odder.

3

Hey, thanks for responding! I was starting to panic.

I can’t find anything about it, either; but I’m sure I didn’t dream this. Please, does ANYONE remember what I’m talking about that can give me a link to the thread (there WAS a thread on this board: that’s how I found out about it), a link to the pics?

Anything?

4

I don’t remember this, but I want to see it. I’ve been looking on Google, and I’ve found plenty of weird pictures, but none that match this description.

5

Oh man, PLEASE somebody find the picture. I simply must see it now.

6

Me, too. It’s GOT to be on the Internet somewhere. There was a thread here about it, which is how I found it, but I can’t find the thread. As I remember (which I might be doing wrongly), the original auctioned-on-Ebay picture was in front of the building, but I could swear that someone posted a link to a website that had another picture of someone (for some reason I’m remembering two people, but maybe not) that were off to the side of the building, but it could be determined that it was the same one.

White clapboard with dusty windows with bottles in them, I think, and a sign that I couldn’t quite read. I remember some comments about the Ebay picture that “there is something wrong with their mouth.” There was what looked like a mouth on the face (below what may have been the mask), but it was too low and too big and looked wrong.

Man, I wish I’d kept a scan of this thing (or both).

7

I’ve done searches on the SDMB for “mask photo,” “ebay photo,” “burn photo,” “halloween photo,” and various other things and nothing comes up. The archive here seems to go back to 2002. Was it before then?

8

Sounds like something I saw in the image gallery at coasttocoastam.com

9

The only thing that comes to mind is the haunted painting that was being sold on eBay several years ago. That can be seen here:

http://www.thegreenhead.com/watercooler/2004/05/haunted-ebay-painting-hands-resist-him.php

Is that what you’re looking for?

10

[QUOTE=Ivorybill]
The only thing that comes to mind is the haunted painting that was being sold on eBay several years ago.
[/QUOTE]

Of course they talk about the original shop owners dying within the year, but then there is no mention of what happened to the person who won the auction even though it is several years later.

It would be so easy for the press to put it to superstition (assuming of course that superstition was wrong), but noooo that doesn’t sell papers does it?

11

Hmm…that painting does look a lot like your description of the picture, except that it’s a painting, not and a photo, and you didn’t mention anything about kids. Anyone else have any ideas?

12

No, it’s not the haunted painting. I’m familiar with that (also found it through a thread here, I think). Bill Stoneham is a rather interesting artist, and you can get prints of that painting (as well as his other artwork) at his website http://www.stonehamstudios.com/ I love that painting, by the way, but I’m not sure I could stand having it in my house. It may not be haunted, but it might as well be.

This was a (and I can’t shake the memory of two) photgraph(s). I don’t remember seeing it on CoasttoCoastAM, but I’ll dig through there, too.

Sage Rat: Here’s an interview with the person who bought the painting. That’s all I’ve heard about the buyer.

No, the picture(s) I’m after was definitely a photograph. Fairly old, so not so much black and white as brown and yellow…that sounds gross, now doesn’t it?..not so much yellow as cream-colored…that doesn’t help.

We HAVE to find this. I’m prevailing upon the Universe at large, here. Someone has to remember it and be able to find it. Dopers Unite! Fight the Power! Eat more vegetables!

13

Sorry for the double post, but I just realized that I missed addressing this:
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
I’ve done searches on the SDMB for “mask photo,” “ebay photo,” “burn photo,” “halloween photo,” and various other things and nothing comes up. The archive here seems to go back to 2002. Was it before then?
[/QUOTE]
I don’t think it was (if memory serves, it was just a couple of years ago…but I’m over 40 now, and memory doesn’t serve as well as it used to). I would have guessed 2004-ish, if not 2005, but I could be wrong. 2002 seems a little far back, but I just went to my local grocery store the other day, and most of the checkout clerks and baggers looked like sixth-graders.

I am getting old, no doubt about it.

14

Try to remember some specific words that were used in the discussion in the thread about this photo, or words that were used in the title, to use in the search.

15

I don’t know the thread or picture you mean, but photoshopped is 2 p’s, you had it right.

16

Alright I’ve done searches for just about every possible permutation of the words you’ve used to describe the photo in the OP. Is there anything else you might recall that would help a search? I’m determined to see this damn photo - you’ve gotten me very intrigued by the mysterious description of it.

17

Yes, Argent Towers I remembered something else overnight that might help. It makes me feel rather chagrined and apologetic to people, but it may be the solution to this mystery.

It occurred to me last night that while I’ve spent probably 95%+ of my message board time on the Dope, I used to wander around the Fortean Times Message Board once in a while. I never posted there, and while I’ve tried to get an ID going, something isn’t letting me and I keep getting thrown to the registration page.

I used to read it, however, but since I can’t get registered, I can’t use the Search function. It’s a slim, slight possibility that I saw the thread over there (although I could swear it was on the Dope). I can’t find it here, either; and I appreciate you looking. If anyone can function on FT, could they possibly dig around there a bit? I would do it, but my cookies are hosed, or something.

Website: http://www.forteantimes.com/

Message board: http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/index.php

They’re full of all sorts of weird stuff, so it might have been over there. I could have sworn it was here, but if it isn’t (as seems evident), that’s the only other place that I could have seen it.

If someone could look over there, they will be my new best friend. If this results in the pictures being found, I will kiss them on the lips (but only if it’s construed as an incentive…I don’t wish to scare anyone off…).

18

[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
Try to remember some specific words that were used in the discussion in the thread about this photo, or words that were used in the title, to use in the search.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I’m trying to, but most of the words have been posted already. I don’t recall the title of the thread exactly, but it was “Mysterious” or “Disturbing” and “Photo” or “Photograph”, I think. “Halloween mask” was used in a post as a hypothesis, “hands” were mentioned because they were wrapped up and thus noticeable, “burn victim” or “burn” or “burns” (but not “Boo-urns”) came up, as well. I mentioned 2004-2005, but it certainly could have been earlier by a bit. 2003 doesn’t sound unreasonable, but 2002 (or before) still instinctively sounds too far back (still a possibility, though).

The “Fortean Times” connection is giving me hope, because I can’t find anything on the Dope about it, either. Beyond those two boards, however, I’m at a total loss. It has to have been on one of them.

19

[QUOTE=Dijon Warlock]
Yeah, I’m trying to, but most of the words have been posted already. I don’t recall the title of the thread exactly, but it was “Mysterious” or “Disturbing” and “Photo” or “Photograph”, I think. “Halloween mask” was used in a post as a hypothesis, “hands” were mentioned because they were wrapped up and thus noticeable, “burn victim” or “burn” or “burns” (but not “Boo-urns”) came up, as well. I mentioned 2004-2005, but it certainly could have been earlier by a bit. 2003 doesn’t sound unreasonable, but 2002 (or before) still instinctively sounds too far back (still a possibility, though).

The “Fortean Times” connection is giving me hope, because I can’t find anything on the Dope about it, either. Beyond those two boards, however, I’m at a total loss. It has to have been on one of them.
[/QUOTE]

I’ve had a look on the Fortean Times boards but found nothing, so I left a query - let’s see if anyone answers.

There’s one other possibility - The Snopes board.

20

I’ve just searched for a while on the Snopes board under Photo Gallery, Spook and Horrors, and I ain’t got nothin’. But the search results will only take me back to 2004, even searching the archive forums. I’m curious too!