Never let it be said that I don't spoil you occasionally. Just for your pleasure, here are a selection of classic ghost photos. These are the ones that leave the experts stumped, owing to either the circumstances in which the photos were taken, or simply because of the integrity of the photographers. In most cases, the photographers were not aware of any presence and were merely taking photos of something tangible. Under scrutiny, both their stories and the photographs themselves were verified and proved legitimate.
Lord Combermere
This photograph of the Combermere Abbey library was taken in 1891 by Sybell Corbet. The figure of a man can faintly be seen sitting in the chair to the left. His head, collar and right arm on the armrest are clearly discernable. It is believed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere.
The Brown Lady
This portrait of "The Brown Lady" ghost is arguably the most famous and well-regarded ghost photograph ever taken. The ghost is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s.
Tulip Staircase Ghost
Rev. Ralph Hardy, a retired clergyman from White Rock, British Columbia, took this now-famous photograph in 1966. He intended merely to photograph the elegant spiral staircase (known as the "Tulip Staircase") in the Queen's House section of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Upon development, however, the photo revealed a shrouded figure climbing the stairs, seeming to hold the railing with both hands.
Hampton Court Henry
On December 19, 2003 closed-circuit security cameras at the Hampton Court Palace in London captured what appears to be a ghostly monk. Security guards had seen the figure in closed-circuit television footage after checking it to see who kept leaving open one of the palace’s fire doors. The area around the man is somewhat blurred, and his face appears unnaturally white compared with his outstretched hand. The spokesperson for Hampton Court Palace stated, “We genuinely don’t know who it is or what it is.”
The Ghost in the Burning Building
On November 19, 1995, Wem Town Hall in Shropshire, England burned to the ground. Many spectators gathered to watch the old building, built in 1905, as it was being consumed by the flames. Tony O'Rahilly, a local resident, was one of those onlookers and took photos of the spectacle with a 200mm telephoto lens from across the street. One of those photos shows what looks like a small, partially transparent girl standing in the doorway. Neither O'Rahilly nor any of the other onlookers or firefighters recalled seeing the girl there. According to the story, the apparition may be the spirit of Jane Churm who died in another fire in the town hall in 1677.
Freddy Jackson
This intriguing photo, taken in 1919, was first published in 1975 by Sir Victor Goddard, a retired R.A.F. officer. The photo is a group portrait of Goddard's squadron, which had served in World War I aboard the HMS Daedalus. (Click the photo at left to see the entire photograph.) An extra ghostly face appears in the photo. Behind the airman positioned on the top row, fourth from the left, can clearly be seen the face of another man. It is said to be the face of Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. His funeral had taken place on the day this photograph was snapped. Members of the squadron easily recognized the face as Jackson's. It has been suggested that Jackson, unaware of his death, decided to show up for the group photo.
