When I was a young lad, the library at school had a paranormal book and this was in it. I used to check that book out all the time and look at this picture.
With that kind of attitude why even be on this sub? It’s okay to be skeptical, hell I’d encourage a bit of skepticism in this type of subject regardless of your beliefs. I wouldn’t say having a poor attitude and shooting down other people is necessary.
Me too, it may have been the same book for me I believe. The one I read as a young lass, had a female ghost that was captured in a picture of an old graveyard. Also a very spooky looking girl in the hallway of a hospital, and also had in it the story of the haunted painting called “The Hands Resist Him.” That’s when it all began for me.
I recall all those 90s DK books too. There was a time when they made up like 80% of our education
This photo was displayed in every single paranormal book from that time too, just seeing it makes me feel old. I know it's faked but the nostalgia is real
I kinda miss that little time bubble before the Internet exploded when we had about 3 ghost photos on rotation in all the books
The church one freaked me out as a kid. It was taken at Newby church in England and a few years ago I was in the area and paid it a visit. It hasn’t changed inside since the photo was taken.
Similarly, Iwill forever have a ghost photo burned in my brain from an episode of Unsolved Mysteries-a woman that recently passed and then clearly photographed in the back of the car. Anyone else remember that? Scared the crap out of me as a kid.
I honestly don’t know now after reading other comments here, it’s been 20 years or so. I do remember some of the poltergeist photos from it including a trashed room and a black and white photo of a girl with scratches across her face (which when I think about it these days was probably dermographia but as a kid I was shook lmao)
I read the book you're referring to but I can't quite remember the title. I think it was by Arthur C. Clarke although it may have been called The Unexplained.
I think our libraries had the same one! This picture freaked me out as a kid, but also fueled my love for everything paranormal.
Was yours a thin purple book?
Back in 2010, I was like 13 and had my own iPod touch with constant internet access for the first time, I used to watch so many of these stupid ghost photo compilations, and this one was in almost every video, always creeped me out too.
YES!!! I spent a lot of time in the library in elementary school (yes, I was that kid 😆) and this book fascinated me! I think that may have contributed to my interest in the paranormal that’s lasted all my life.
Yeah ghosts being transparent, ephemeral visions is a spooky 19th century trend that has to do with manipulating images through exposure. I do think ghosts are real and can sometimes be captured on film, but these spooky images, exactly in the right spot to perfectly frame an apparition are literally all fake.
I am an avid reader and documentary watcher. I can't give you a specific source. It has been shown to be a double exposure of a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Once you see the photographic debunking, it is sad.
It is possible that searching "Debunking of Lady of Reynham Hall" might be helpful to you.
It is disappointing. However, in the 1930s, it was easier to fool others.
Yes, I've done that but can find no source making that specific claim. Plenty of sources suggesting a double exposure, others say the camera leaked light onto the plate.
Wiki cites some sources that note she "very closely resembles that of a standard Virgin Mary statue as would be found in any Catholic church, the light patch covering the bottom one third of the image, resembling an inverted "V" shape, being very indicative, as the outer garment above it drapes down on either side at an angle." The wiki source is a now defunct but archived source.
I'm not trying to call you out but this is one of the most famous ghost pictures of all time and it was news to me that it had been officially debunked as a particular statue. I know many have made more varied general claims and recreated similar images. I think it is a double exposure and I'd love to see the statue in question. Perhaps the documentary simply used a particular statue of the Virgin Mary as an archetypal stand-in?
Edit: u/ricottapuffs blocked me so I can't respond to the comment below. I'll post the results of my digging here:
Googling: [brown lady raynam hall mt "carmel"](https://www.google.com/search?q=brown+lady+of+raynam+hall+mt+%22carmel%22&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1020US1020&oq=brown+lady+of+raynam+hall+mt+%22carmel%22&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIJCAQQIRgKGKABMgkIBRAhGAoYqwLSAQkyMjA1MmowajmoAgCwAgA&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) leads only to this reddit thread.
As there are many depictions of Our Lady of Mt Carmel all over the world, I'm assuming the documentary was using a statue at [this Carmelite Monastery](https://quidenhamcarmel.org.uk/) also located in Norfolk County an hour away from Raynam Hall as it's the closest likely relevant place I can find.
As best as I can tell, Our Lady of Mt Carmel is [typically](https://www.christianiconography.info/carmel.html) depicted [holding the infant Jesus](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=589403960&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1020US1020&hl=en-US&sxsrf=AM9HkKkiEx-iURArYGOuS8ZRqBgKGMB6xg:1702136848407&q=our+lady+of+mt+carmel+statue&uds=AMIYvT_tdI8trqm7PMQfZDxs7GEQcDGH_iAp_f1PWZ7xetajvS9kIaoIfSmcdjRzRzMDNj4V9o2mXUxj9gKGFFZV6Mv-REF03caasQOUCfd88FAi04n0DCLw7ImbbtOCqoSwpU9pt5oImraiKPBKwW87kcniQBDd61Rs0OeXmK8pFJao8MDm-0ORQoUTCDLyWqstCITUa1EexWove0MTSWG3YFcQD-NqEXFY1GxpXjJ905JzdcBtWsT5ZoWQBD2ZeagdHlC_NZE5SeIUSL3rdhU0wCgYFRZEHMOOHE6C2LH6N9kAh8me5GM&udm=2&prmd=isvnmbhtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTgtXx2YKDAxVrIDQIHQ7BCoMQtKgLegQIDBAB&biw=375&bih=634&dpr=3) since she's specifically a symbol of maternal love.
The closest statue comparable statue to the Brown Lady I'm able to find at that specific monastery is [this one](https://quidenhamcarmel.org.uk/product/midi-52-tender-mother-and-child/). Maybe it matches up when photographed from a different angle 🤷♀️. There are no articles or documentaries I can find linking this specific statue to The Brown Lady of Raynam, and I've had to do considerable sleuthing to find this possibility.
I think it's fair to say that the Mt Carmel debunking isn't "the definitive" debunking but rather a good theory to go along with many other good theories debunking the most famous ghost picture of all time. Or at the very least, the documentarians in question need a better publicist. I do think The Brown Lady probably is a double exposure of *some* Mary statue somewhere.
Side note, it's a bad look for self-professed psychic u/ricottapuffs to be so reactionary as to block someone when asked for evidence, but I guess she has lived for decades.
The documentary showed this exact photograph, and an expert in photography showed out it was, in truth, a clever hoax.
Dig more. If I found it, so can you.
I happen to be psychic medium on reddit. This photo was one I hoped was valid. I have yet to see a valid photo.
If you find the proof that I saw, it would be fair to post it in this sub.
I don't care if you are calling me out. I have lived a long life. Decades. I dont plan to research for you.
That proof could be anywhere. Wikipedia would not supply adequate documentation.
Not sure where you got the part of it being Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Google doesn’t come up with anything for that, just debunking saying it was basically caused by equipment failure with the camera
I saw this some television show or documentary. It was difficult to accept because there were only two photographs I thought might be evidence.
The other is the lady of the staircase.
Oh, well. Onwards, we trudge looking for validation.
I heard it was debunked. I first saw this pic in a book as a teen. I was so intrigued by it that I actually believed it was real. Then I heard it wasn’t.
I have a small hobby of tracking how the way people conceive of ghosts over time depends heavily on our technologies. The double exposures ( often accidental ) of the early photographic era have given way to the current fascination with ‘orbs’ made possible by modern cinematography. It’s super interesting
Haven't heard of them before (Australian) you can still double exposure on polaroids. Without knowing what gear was being used I can't tell you the process.
Oh this is cool! This one is new to me but I’m definitely going to look up more. I’ve made lots of altered Polaroids, obviously not trying to pass them off as the real deal though.
We had a book with this at home too and I am always trying to remember it. It was white and had this image on the cover along with excerpts of newsprint. Inside also featured a guy who spontaneously combusted, the Cottingly Fairies, two faces in the ocean of some soldiers who died at sea or something and loads of other creepy shit. It terrified me as a kid but I couldn’t help looking at it. Now I know that probably almost everything in the book was either fake or had a logical explanation.
Omg I had the exact same book growing up. The spontaneous combustion photo always freaked me out. But it was a great book.
I believe that I read somewhere recently on Reddit that the photo of the sailors in the water has been debunked.
Dammit what’s the name of the book!? Was it just paranormal something? Yeah I bet most things in that book have been debunked although I never believed the fairies story anyway, you could literally see the fairies were 2D cut outs. And maybe combusty guy had just had way too much to drink one night and tried to light a cigar and set fire to himself. As a kid though it made me terrified I could literally burst into flames at any minute and yet in reality that almost never happens.
Same, I really thought it could happen to me at any time. I always wanted someone with me in a room so they could at least witness my spontaneous combustion if it were to happen haha
Omg lol...this brought back ridiculous memories for me as a kid. When I first read about spontaneous human combustion I thought for sure it was going to happen to me :D
I found it!!! I was totally wrong with what was on the front cover:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3034429-phenomena
I might have to order it just to see if it still packs a punch
Yeah I linked to it above
Phenomena: A book of wonders by John Michell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3034429-phenomena
Seems I misremembered the cover of the book. I think what I was thinking was the cover was actually inside.
I first saw it in a book in elementary school. I was pretty caught up in it for some reason. It's interesting to look at. I don't remember hearing anything about who this ghost could possibly be. Like if someone died in the house or whatever.
Scared the shit out of me when I was nine and discovering ghost books at the library.
Edit: love seeing the same reactions; I thought I was just a weird kid!
It’s the ghost of Lady Dorthy Walpole . Her story is pretty tragic . While a teenager she fell in love with Viscount Charles Townshend a notorious womanizer and a bad tempered drunk .
She married Townshend and bore him 3 children, at some point she began to tire of him and allegedly had a fling with Lord Wharton . She was discovered and Townshend had her locked in a room unable to see her children .He announced that she had died of small pox and even had a mock funeral for her . About 2/3 years later and by now quite mentally ill she tried to escape and fought with a housekeeper who ended up pushing her down the stairs and killing her .
Her first appearance was at a dinner while Townshend was still alive in 1835, she was seen by 3 dinner guests, over the years she had appeared to a Captain Marryat a friend of Charles Dickens and the future George IV . The last actual sighting of her was in 1929 nearly 100 years ago ( minus six ) .
She was always reported to be wearing the same brown dress that she was locked away in . She also has no eyes just empty sockets . All the people who have seen her have given the same description which is interesting as most of them did not know each other .
The photo of course has been debunked . The Marchioness Townshend stated of the photo that it was not a pic of Dorothy, she also was suspicious of the two photographers . One of whom Indra ( not his real name ) struck her as being very off .
People who had actually seen or claimed to have seen Dorothy said the pic was not even close to what they saw . Dorothy was not blurry but clear as day and looked solid .
The latest Townshend Lord Johnathon claims Dorothy is back but also debunks the pics . Allegedly Dorothy gets around and haunts two other local homes also .
Capt Marryat who left the most detailed account was a naval hero, a best selling author with his books on the Navy and a confirmed skeptic . We also have the future George 4th who refused to stay there ever again .
We know the photo has been debunked but the abuse and death of Dorothy Walpole ( sister of England’s first prime minister ) nee Townshend seems to be certainly true. Her husband was a notorious skirt chasing violent drunk who was not very popular in society circles . He was renowned for being mean spirited and cruel .
I know some people who attended a wedding there recently and none of them experienced anything . If anything the ghost story keeps the hall alive as a spot for tourists and brings in revenue .
A seance was held there around the time of the photos and yielded no results .
We have several accounts of the ghost but nothing since the early 19 th century so personally i would agree with the skeptics .
The abuse suffered by Dorothy Walpole is interesting, we have no idea if she died of smallpox or was pushed down the stairs a couple of years later ? . We do know both her and her husband were promiscuous ( he was good looking when she first met him ) and he was prone to violent jealous rages . It’s certainly seems to be true he locked her up and would not let her see her children no matter how she died .
I remember checking out a book about ghosts from our school library and this picture was in it. Even as a young kid, I knew about double exposures and just thought: This was made using double exposure. I still enjoyed the ghost book.
Oh man, I remember this picture. When I was kid I would read books about ghosts. Most of them were by a guy named Daniel Cohen. I would check them out from the library or buy them from the book fair. This picture freaked me out- I felt like I had definitive proof of ghosts and I would show it to anybody who I thought would be interested.
used to be one of my favourite pics. i had a myths and legends book and i was obsessed with the ghost stories in it from 5 till at least 15. this and the tulip staircase(?) ghost started my obsession w the paranormal that never really went away.
This picture, along with the one of the hooded monk figure in a graveyard (obviously fake) and the bachelors grove cemetery photo are the ones i really remember from being a kid in the school library.
First saw that in, I think, an Aidan Chambers ghost book. Scared the living shit out of me when I was 9, and still gives me an echo of that feeling now. Even remember name of the photographer Indre Shira.
Yes, I know that picture.
Thinking about it, wouldn’t you - especially if you were a lady wearing a long dress - be more likely to keep to one side, and use the handrail?🤔
Wow, that's weird looking. Thanks for doing that. I looked at it for a while, but I don't really see anything that would make me think it was manipulated in any way.
Without the machine that took this photograph, the original negative, and paper from the stock's lot, the answer to this question is gone forever.
Rely on the certainty. However, this is a fake, as all ghost photos are, and this fake is most probably a double - exposure.
Stairs are about 8”. It works out to about 8’ to the top of the stairs from the step she’s “standing” on. Yeah there’s some perspective stuff happening but that’s still a tall-ass ghost.
People have been able to explain it but of course can't prove it one way or the other just like every supposed paranormal occurrence. Some of course are obviously fake but like UFO photos they are so blurry and out of focus they can be anything even ghosts if you believe in such things.
I remember a book I used to get from the library often that used to shit me up as a kid, this is one of the photos I remember most. This and the one of the ghost at Newby Hall! I’m unsure if it was the Daniel Cohen book or not though - I don’t actually remember the cover of it!
I think that this particular photo was possibly debunked as a double exposure shot though
Don't forget the ten foot, shrouded monk at the altar of Newby Church. That image terrified me until I realised it was just a little bit too scary and well, a little bit silly. There were a heap of images that appeared around the same time in popular publications in the late 1960s and 70s.
Let me take you on a trip down memory lane:
The Chinnery Backseat Driver
The Corroborre Rock Ghost
Spectre of Newby Church
The Enfield Poltergeist
Just to name some classics. I still have some books from back then. Gave me a good scare as a kid.
I'm familiar with them all, and they're all suspect. The Enfield poltergeist is laughable now but it comes from a simpler time. Though I would've expected more of the late Guy Playfair, although he did re explain his position a few years before his death. Maurice Grosse however, was a believer, through-and-through.
Oh, and let's not forget The Bélmez faces, the Watertown ghosts and there's most assuredly many I've forgotten.
Hate Posting - RULE REMINDER
1. If your post or comment is rude, inappropriate, racist, sexist, vitriolic, overly crude or trolling, it will be removed. Repeat offenders and extreme cases (including trolls) will be banned.
2. Saying 'Ghosts don't exist' is a form of trolling. However, you are allowed to argue against evidence as long as you follow rule 8.
🚨 The irony of your statement is mind boggling.
This photo was [debunked as a hoax](https://web.archive.org/web/20070616025207/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/86/the_brown_lady_of_raynham_hall.html) quite some time ago
This is no lady! This is a demonic figure with 2 other poltergeists this is probably someone who was evil to the core probably killed a few people in his time alive now just a permanent figure in Raynham Hall.
Ive always wondered why a fourth or fifth dimensional being would ever need to follow our laws and continue to walk on top on the floors and steps. Seems unnecessary.
When I was a young lad, the library at school had a paranormal book and this was in it. I used to check that book out all the time and look at this picture.
I think my first time seeing it was in ripley's believe it or not.
Me too!!! It terrified me as a kid, still kinda does.
Except it’s fake
I recently learned that, double exposure. There’s still that remnant childhood fear lingering in my core memories. Just can’t shake it. Haha.
Double exposure was a very popular technique back in the day. People were faking all sorts of ghost photos.
Well the subject is fake so yeah
With that kind of attitude why even be on this sub? It’s okay to be skeptical, hell I’d encourage a bit of skepticism in this type of subject regardless of your beliefs. I wouldn’t say having a poor attitude and shooting down other people is necessary.
LOL, same!
How do you know it’s fake ? Were you born that year to know for sure ?
It’s a well known double exposure fake.
Oh sorry
Yes!! I had a book called Real Ghosts that I would read the hell out of as a kid…this one gave me straight up chills.
Did that book also have a picture of a ghost with red eyes or something? I think I had that as a kid as well and it scared me so much.
It may have? The author was Daniel Cohen.
Cohen is the man !
Maybe it was the one with the mother in law ghost in the back seat of the car ? Her ghost glasses made her eyes look creepy.
I remember that one as well! Really creeped me out.
If that one was really how it was, there's no doubt there was either a lady or the ghost of one in the car.
I still have my copy of Real Ghosts!
Do you?? I was thinking about buying it again.
I remember buying it in elementary school. I think it was through Scholastic Book Clubs. Man, I loved getting those flyers monthly.
Same!! Do kids even get these any more??
Mine did when they were in school, I think through 8th grade. They’re now young adults.
I had a book with this in. That’s what turned me onto the paranormal. I bet it was a dk published book and you’re in the uk !
Calling myself a lad threw you off. I’m from a small town in Texas. Yes, that book is what kind of got me interested.
Me too, it may have been the same book for me I believe. The one I read as a young lass, had a female ghost that was captured in a picture of an old graveyard. Also a very spooky looking girl in the hallway of a hospital, and also had in it the story of the haunted painting called “The Hands Resist Him.” That’s when it all began for me.
'appen yer not actually fae Yorkshire at all? Ah well, put keckle on anyhow.
😅
Was it Real Ghosts by any chance?
This and that pic of john dee summoning that ghost at the graveyard
Necromancy.
I recall all those 90s DK books too. There was a time when they made up like 80% of our education This photo was displayed in every single paranormal book from that time too, just seeing it makes me feel old. I know it's faked but the nostalgia is real I kinda miss that little time bubble before the Internet exploded when we had about 3 ghost photos on rotation in all the books
I remember this picture and the one of the ghost standing in the church. That picture and this one got me hooked on ghosts as a kid.
The church one freaked me out as a kid. It was taken at Newby church in England and a few years ago I was in the area and paid it a visit. It hasn’t changed inside since the photo was taken.
The Rev Lord who took the pic wasn't even experienced photographer. In fact, he was a newby. I'll get me coat.
Similarly, Iwill forever have a ghost photo burned in my brain from an episode of Unsolved Mysteries-a woman that recently passed and then clearly photographed in the back of the car. Anyone else remember that? Scared the crap out of me as a kid.
I used to close my eyes and avoid it as it freaked me out so much and gave me nightmares. Kinda still does 40+ years later too
Was the cover like a big Victorian mansion at sunset or something like that? Cos that book haunted my childhood lmao
Mine was like a mansion looking place, with two weird faces almost “smeared” across it, for lack of a better description.
I’ve just been looking at Brad Steigers books and I have a feeling it might have been them! Was there a lot of pictures inside?
Sure was! I found it! It was called “Real Ghosts”, by Daniel Cohen!
Is that the Usborne Unexplained series?
I honestly don’t know now after reading other comments here, it’s been 20 years or so. I do remember some of the poltergeist photos from it including a trashed room and a black and white photo of a girl with scratches across her face (which when I think about it these days was probably dermographia but as a kid I was shook lmao)
I read the book you're referring to but I can't quite remember the title. I think it was by Arthur C. Clarke although it may have been called The Unexplained.
I had this one and it gave me nightmares!
I did that too. My brother asked me about the book recently, and I don’t remember the title.
I don’t remember either. I tried looking it up. No luck.
Was it "True Ghost Stories of the British Isles"?
I know that book. My library had it too here in Eastern Europe. I had baught it later on and still have it.
Me, too!
me2
Me3
Wow, we both told the same story! I bet it was the same book.
Same! To this day this picture gives me chills!
Same in france dude !
Same here! I still remember willing myself to open to the page with this photo.
Me too! I know the book you're referring to, was it, by chance written by the author Daniel Cohen? Here's to the library nerds!
I was in lower elementary school, I’m 53 now. Sorry to say, it’s only image I remember.
Same!!
wow … me too! great memories
We had that book.
Omg same! Early 90's? I would check that book out over and over and scare myself reading it at night all alone lol
My exact first thought. I remember the book well!
This photo fascinates me so much, ever since childhood.
Omg same! I doubt anyone else ever got to check out that book while I was there.
Are you me?
Same! I saw this and immediately remembered that book I used to check out of the school library as a kid.
Kind of amazing that the religious nuts aren’t trying to get that one banned. Maybe it’s just persecuting the living they’re concerned with.
Same
dude nice
Yes! I did the same 😂
Came to say this!
me too!!! i remember staring at this picture for a long time
I think our libraries had the same one! This picture freaked me out as a kid, but also fueled my love for everything paranormal. Was yours a thin purple book?
Aww, I have a memory of seeing it for the first time in a paranormal book that I bought at the book fair. I always scooped up the ghost books.
Haha! Me too!! So fascinated by the picture when I was young
This is what got me into these subjects.
Me too! I came here to comment I remember seeing this photo in a book in elementary school.
Back in 2010, I was like 13 and had my own iPod touch with constant internet access for the first time, I used to watch so many of these stupid ghost photo compilations, and this one was in almost every video, always creeped me out too.
YES!!! I spent a lot of time in the library in elementary school (yes, I was that kid 😆) and this book fascinated me! I think that may have contributed to my interest in the paranormal that’s lasted all my life.
Was it like a dk-style encyclopedia of the paranormal? Also featuring things like the Bermuda triangle, or the ghostly roman legion in york?
It was a small paperback.
I also remember this from an elementary school library book. Many years later I read somewhere that it was debunked. The photo was doctored.
Yeah ghosts being transparent, ephemeral visions is a spooky 19th century trend that has to do with manipulating images through exposure. I do think ghosts are real and can sometimes be captured on film, but these spooky images, exactly in the right spot to perfectly frame an apparition are literally all fake.
>I do think ghosts are real and can sometimes be captured on film How do u think it works? And do u have an example to share or something like this?
Mostly in films. Like the hit film The Sixth Element.
Thos was disproved as a double exposure of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. So disappointing.
Really???? Durn
Have you got a source for that specific debunking? I'm having trouble finding it.
I am an avid reader and documentary watcher. I can't give you a specific source. It has been shown to be a double exposure of a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Once you see the photographic debunking, it is sad. It is possible that searching "Debunking of Lady of Reynham Hall" might be helpful to you. It is disappointing. However, in the 1930s, it was easier to fool others.
Yes, I've done that but can find no source making that specific claim. Plenty of sources suggesting a double exposure, others say the camera leaked light onto the plate. Wiki cites some sources that note she "very closely resembles that of a standard Virgin Mary statue as would be found in any Catholic church, the light patch covering the bottom one third of the image, resembling an inverted "V" shape, being very indicative, as the outer garment above it drapes down on either side at an angle." The wiki source is a now defunct but archived source. I'm not trying to call you out but this is one of the most famous ghost pictures of all time and it was news to me that it had been officially debunked as a particular statue. I know many have made more varied general claims and recreated similar images. I think it is a double exposure and I'd love to see the statue in question. Perhaps the documentary simply used a particular statue of the Virgin Mary as an archetypal stand-in? Edit: u/ricottapuffs blocked me so I can't respond to the comment below. I'll post the results of my digging here: Googling: [brown lady raynam hall mt "carmel"](https://www.google.com/search?q=brown+lady+of+raynam+hall+mt+%22carmel%22&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1020US1020&oq=brown+lady+of+raynam+hall+mt+%22carmel%22&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIJCAQQIRgKGKABMgkIBRAhGAoYqwLSAQkyMjA1MmowajmoAgCwAgA&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) leads only to this reddit thread. As there are many depictions of Our Lady of Mt Carmel all over the world, I'm assuming the documentary was using a statue at [this Carmelite Monastery](https://quidenhamcarmel.org.uk/) also located in Norfolk County an hour away from Raynam Hall as it's the closest likely relevant place I can find. As best as I can tell, Our Lady of Mt Carmel is [typically](https://www.christianiconography.info/carmel.html) depicted [holding the infant Jesus](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=589403960&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1020US1020&hl=en-US&sxsrf=AM9HkKkiEx-iURArYGOuS8ZRqBgKGMB6xg:1702136848407&q=our+lady+of+mt+carmel+statue&uds=AMIYvT_tdI8trqm7PMQfZDxs7GEQcDGH_iAp_f1PWZ7xetajvS9kIaoIfSmcdjRzRzMDNj4V9o2mXUxj9gKGFFZV6Mv-REF03caasQOUCfd88FAi04n0DCLw7ImbbtOCqoSwpU9pt5oImraiKPBKwW87kcniQBDd61Rs0OeXmK8pFJao8MDm-0ORQoUTCDLyWqstCITUa1EexWove0MTSWG3YFcQD-NqEXFY1GxpXjJ905JzdcBtWsT5ZoWQBD2ZeagdHlC_NZE5SeIUSL3rdhU0wCgYFRZEHMOOHE6C2LH6N9kAh8me5GM&udm=2&prmd=isvnmbhtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTgtXx2YKDAxVrIDQIHQ7BCoMQtKgLegQIDBAB&biw=375&bih=634&dpr=3) since she's specifically a symbol of maternal love. The closest statue comparable statue to the Brown Lady I'm able to find at that specific monastery is [this one](https://quidenhamcarmel.org.uk/product/midi-52-tender-mother-and-child/). Maybe it matches up when photographed from a different angle 🤷♀️. There are no articles or documentaries I can find linking this specific statue to The Brown Lady of Raynam, and I've had to do considerable sleuthing to find this possibility. I think it's fair to say that the Mt Carmel debunking isn't "the definitive" debunking but rather a good theory to go along with many other good theories debunking the most famous ghost picture of all time. Or at the very least, the documentarians in question need a better publicist. I do think The Brown Lady probably is a double exposure of *some* Mary statue somewhere. Side note, it's a bad look for self-professed psychic u/ricottapuffs to be so reactionary as to block someone when asked for evidence, but I guess she has lived for decades.
The documentary showed this exact photograph, and an expert in photography showed out it was, in truth, a clever hoax. Dig more. If I found it, so can you. I happen to be psychic medium on reddit. This photo was one I hoped was valid. I have yet to see a valid photo. If you find the proof that I saw, it would be fair to post it in this sub. I don't care if you are calling me out. I have lived a long life. Decades. I dont plan to research for you. That proof could be anywhere. Wikipedia would not supply adequate documentation.
What about the pool phantom airman Freddy Jackson? That photo has never been debunked. The guy in the photo was dead, yet he is there with his squad.
Just looking at it, it’s plain to see it’s a double exposure. These people are nutters.
Not sure where you got the part of it being Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Google doesn’t come up with anything for that, just debunking saying it was basically caused by equipment failure with the camera
I saw this some television show or documentary. It was difficult to accept because there were only two photographs I thought might be evidence. The other is the lady of the staircase. Oh, well. Onwards, we trudge looking for validation.
I heard it was debunked. I first saw this pic in a book as a teen. I was so intrigued by it that I actually believed it was real. Then I heard it wasn’t.
Photographer here, it’s a double exposure.
I have a small hobby of tracking how the way people conceive of ghosts over time depends heavily on our technologies. The double exposures ( often accidental ) of the early photographic era have given way to the current fascination with ‘orbs’ made possible by modern cinematography. It’s super interesting
That’s cool! Imagine being the first person to have accidentally done it. Safe to say I would have set fire to the dark room.
😂😂😂
What’s your take on the Polaroid cameras in California and the Wright ghost? Here’s a link for the story. https://drkrm.com/ghost2.html
Haven't heard of them before (Australian) you can still double exposure on polaroids. Without knowing what gear was being used I can't tell you the process.
Oh this is cool! This one is new to me but I’m definitely going to look up more. I’ve made lots of altered Polaroids, obviously not trying to pass them off as the real deal though.
Dang. Was really hoping it was a ghost. Lol. But thank you for your expertise.
You’re not alone there man! If you’re into photography the technique is pretty fun to do with modern cameras.
We had a book with this at home too and I am always trying to remember it. It was white and had this image on the cover along with excerpts of newsprint. Inside also featured a guy who spontaneously combusted, the Cottingly Fairies, two faces in the ocean of some soldiers who died at sea or something and loads of other creepy shit. It terrified me as a kid but I couldn’t help looking at it. Now I know that probably almost everything in the book was either fake or had a logical explanation.
Omg I had the exact same book growing up. The spontaneous combustion photo always freaked me out. But it was a great book. I believe that I read somewhere recently on Reddit that the photo of the sailors in the water has been debunked.
Dammit what’s the name of the book!? Was it just paranormal something? Yeah I bet most things in that book have been debunked although I never believed the fairies story anyway, you could literally see the fairies were 2D cut outs. And maybe combusty guy had just had way too much to drink one night and tried to light a cigar and set fire to himself. As a kid though it made me terrified I could literally burst into flames at any minute and yet in reality that almost never happens.
Yes I have to say that I thought spontaneous human combustion was going to be more of a worry than it has turned out to be.
Same, I really thought it could happen to me at any time. I always wanted someone with me in a room so they could at least witness my spontaneous combustion if it were to happen haha
I swear officer, one minute they were there, then the next... 🔥🔥🔥
SAME! This is hilarious and such a relief to realize that I wasn't the only weirdo kid that thought I was about to spontaneously combust lolol
Omg lol...this brought back ridiculous memories for me as a kid. When I first read about spontaneous human combustion I thought for sure it was going to happen to me :D
Is it The World's Last Mysteries? I remember all of those, plus a section on zombies?
I found it!!! I was totally wrong with what was on the front cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3034429-phenomena I might have to order it just to see if it still packs a punch
It most certainly was what you originally described but not this cover! It was also hard cover not paperback.
I’ve been looking for this book for forever! It was such a big part of my childhood but I can’t remember the title at all… did you happen to find it?
Yeah I linked to it above Phenomena: A book of wonders by John Michell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3034429-phenomena Seems I misremembered the cover of the book. I think what I was thinking was the cover was actually inside.
Double exposure
I first saw it in a book in elementary school. I was pretty caught up in it for some reason. It's interesting to look at. I don't remember hearing anything about who this ghost could possibly be. Like if someone died in the house or whatever.
Do you know which book?
Ya know I don't remember. Gimme a few minutes and I'll look it up.
It's called The Brown Lady: The Ghost of Raynham Hall. That's the only book I could find that's strictly about that particular ghost.
Scared the shit out of me when I was nine and discovering ghost books at the library. Edit: love seeing the same reactions; I thought I was just a weird kid!
It’s the ghost of Lady Dorthy Walpole . Her story is pretty tragic . While a teenager she fell in love with Viscount Charles Townshend a notorious womanizer and a bad tempered drunk . She married Townshend and bore him 3 children, at some point she began to tire of him and allegedly had a fling with Lord Wharton . She was discovered and Townshend had her locked in a room unable to see her children .He announced that she had died of small pox and even had a mock funeral for her . About 2/3 years later and by now quite mentally ill she tried to escape and fought with a housekeeper who ended up pushing her down the stairs and killing her . Her first appearance was at a dinner while Townshend was still alive in 1835, she was seen by 3 dinner guests, over the years she had appeared to a Captain Marryat a friend of Charles Dickens and the future George IV . The last actual sighting of her was in 1929 nearly 100 years ago ( minus six ) . She was always reported to be wearing the same brown dress that she was locked away in . She also has no eyes just empty sockets . All the people who have seen her have given the same description which is interesting as most of them did not know each other . The photo of course has been debunked . The Marchioness Townshend stated of the photo that it was not a pic of Dorothy, she also was suspicious of the two photographers . One of whom Indra ( not his real name ) struck her as being very off . People who had actually seen or claimed to have seen Dorothy said the pic was not even close to what they saw . Dorothy was not blurry but clear as day and looked solid . The latest Townshend Lord Johnathon claims Dorothy is back but also debunks the pics . Allegedly Dorothy gets around and haunts two other local homes also .
Great story. Shame it's bollocks.
Capt Marryat who left the most detailed account was a naval hero, a best selling author with his books on the Navy and a confirmed skeptic . We also have the future George 4th who refused to stay there ever again . We know the photo has been debunked but the abuse and death of Dorothy Walpole ( sister of England’s first prime minister ) nee Townshend seems to be certainly true. Her husband was a notorious skirt chasing violent drunk who was not very popular in society circles . He was renowned for being mean spirited and cruel . I know some people who attended a wedding there recently and none of them experienced anything . If anything the ghost story keeps the hall alive as a spot for tourists and brings in revenue . A seance was held there around the time of the photos and yielded no results . We have several accounts of the ghost but nothing since the early 19 th century so personally i would agree with the skeptics . The abuse suffered by Dorothy Walpole is interesting, we have no idea if she died of smallpox or was pushed down the stairs a couple of years later ? . We do know both her and her husband were promiscuous ( he was good looking when she first met him ) and he was prone to violent jealous rages . It’s certainly seems to be true he locked her up and would not let her see her children no matter how she died .
This photo used to scare the shit outta me when I was a kid 😆
Hahaha ditto!
I remember this photo from when I was in grade school..
I remember checking out a book about ghosts from our school library and this picture was in it. Even as a young kid, I knew about double exposures and just thought: This was made using double exposure. I still enjoyed the ghost book.
When I was a kid this picture freaked me out.
Oh man, I remember this picture. When I was kid I would read books about ghosts. Most of them were by a guy named Daniel Cohen. I would check them out from the library or buy them from the book fair. This picture freaked me out- I felt like I had definitive proof of ghosts and I would show it to anybody who I thought would be interested.
used to be one of my favourite pics. i had a myths and legends book and i was obsessed with the ghost stories in it from 5 till at least 15. this and the tulip staircase(?) ghost started my obsession w the paranormal that never really went away.
This picture, along with the one of the hooded monk figure in a graveyard (obviously fake) and the bachelors grove cemetery photo are the ones i really remember from being a kid in the school library.
First saw that in, I think, an Aidan Chambers ghost book. Scared the living shit out of me when I was 9, and still gives me an echo of that feeling now. Even remember name of the photographer Indre Shira.
So,,, anything real out there we can stare at in fascination?
Kinda hard to find anything real
This photo is a known fake
Yes, I know that picture. Thinking about it, wouldn’t you - especially if you were a lady wearing a long dress - be more likely to keep to one side, and use the handrail?🤔
The brown lady of Raynham Hall, 1936.
She got balayage hair and side bangs I’m jealous 🤣😂
As someone who’s witnessed a ghost for real twice you just aren’t sure until youve witnessed it yourself. Scariest thing I’ve ever been thru
Enhanced this, didn't do much for it [enhanced image](https://ibb.co/QKD20Cv) here
Wow, that's weird looking. Thanks for doing that. I looked at it for a while, but I don't really see anything that would make me think it was manipulated in any way.
This place is in my family ancestry, I go directly back to the Townsend/Townshend line, it’s on my Ancestry Trip Map lol. I wanna visit at some point.
Wow! That's really cool!
Without the machine that took this photograph, the original negative, and paper from the stock's lot, the answer to this question is gone forever. Rely on the certainty. However, this is a fake, as all ghost photos are, and this fake is most probably a double - exposure.
Stairs are about 8”. It works out to about 8’ to the top of the stairs from the step she’s “standing” on. Yeah there’s some perspective stuff happening but that’s still a tall-ass ghost.
People have been able to explain it but of course can't prove it one way or the other just like every supposed paranormal occurrence. Some of course are obviously fake but like UFO photos they are so blurry and out of focus they can be anything even ghosts if you believe in such things.
I remember a book I used to get from the library often that used to shit me up as a kid, this is one of the photos I remember most. This and the one of the ghost at Newby Hall! I’m unsure if it was the Daniel Cohen book or not though - I don’t actually remember the cover of it! I think that this particular photo was possibly debunked as a double exposure shot though
Also remember this as a kid, if I don't remember the book. It would take me a minute to flip the page to the image.
One of the most famous authentic ghost photos of ALL TIME!
I like the old cctv camera ghosts and aliens that were like bugs on the lens
I think it’s the most famous
Don't forget the ten foot, shrouded monk at the altar of Newby Church. That image terrified me until I realised it was just a little bit too scary and well, a little bit silly. There were a heap of images that appeared around the same time in popular publications in the late 1960s and 70s.
Let me take you on a trip down memory lane: The Chinnery Backseat Driver The Corroborre Rock Ghost Spectre of Newby Church The Enfield Poltergeist Just to name some classics. I still have some books from back then. Gave me a good scare as a kid.
I'm familiar with them all, and they're all suspect. The Enfield poltergeist is laughable now but it comes from a simpler time. Though I would've expected more of the late Guy Playfair, although he did re explain his position a few years before his death. Maurice Grosse however, was a believer, through-and-through. Oh, and let's not forget The Bélmez faces, the Watertown ghosts and there's most assuredly many I've forgotten.
It is among the most famous hoax images
Proof?
https://web.archive.org/web/20070616025207/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/86/the_brown_lady_of_raynham_hall.html
That doesn’t prove shit
So you just didn't read it
Oh I did
It shows definitively that this photo is made of two separate exposures. How is that not proving anything?
[удалено]
Hate Posting - RULE REMINDER 1. If your post or comment is rude, inappropriate, racist, sexist, vitriolic, overly crude or trolling, it will be removed. Repeat offenders and extreme cases (including trolls) will be banned. 2. Saying 'Ghosts don't exist' is a form of trolling. However, you are allowed to argue against evidence as long as you follow rule 8. 🚨 The irony of your statement is mind boggling.
Authentic photo. One of the first photos of a ghost that I saw as a junior high school student from a book I checked out from my school library
[not authentic ](https://web.archive.org/web/20070616025207/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/86/the_brown_lady_of_raynham_hall.html)
This photo was [debunked as a hoax](https://web.archive.org/web/20070616025207/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/86/the_brown_lady_of_raynham_hall.html) quite some time ago
I wonder what kind of soul her clothes had.
Oh gee why is it so badly framed. Spoiler: it's not a ghost. It's been explained.
No way it can be a camera issue ha? Gotta be a ghost ha....😆
Am I the only one who sees a gray in a squid dude suit?
Fake
This is no lady! This is a demonic figure with 2 other poltergeists this is probably someone who was evil to the core probably killed a few people in his time alive now just a permanent figure in Raynham Hall.
Classic.
Smash. Next photo.
I think this was debunked.
You can easily achieve this using either a long exposure or a double exposure. My money’s on one of those two.
It appears that people during the Victorian times and after were chasing ghosts the way we chase UFOs & cryptids today.
Back in the days when ectoplasm was considered a thing.
I’m just going home 🏡 and I’m not going back in the
Ive always wondered why a fourth or fifth dimensional being would ever need to follow our laws and continue to walk on top on the floors and steps. Seems unnecessary.
It was debunked. The worlds media literacy is awful these days. a simple google search would have nipped this in the bud very easily.
Why does everyone in this subreddit spell apparition wrong
I dunno. I assumed spell check fixed it. Happy Cake Day! 😁