Raynham Hall

WildChild68 · Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Yorkshire, UK

The image reportedly shows a ghost descending a staircase at Raynham Hall. It was captured by photographers Captain Provand and his assistant Indre Shira while photographing the historic Raynham Hall for Country Life Magazine in the late afternoon of 19th September, 1936.

This picture of the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall is among the best known of all alleged ghost photos. The story goes that the spirit is that of Dorothy Walpole, a one-time resident of the manor located in Norfolk, England. The ghost was first sighted in 1835, when a house guest claimed to see a phantom wearing a brown satin dress, noting that her eyes that had been gouged out. The Brown Lady was reported on several subsequent occasions, making Raynham Hall a favorite spot for ghost hunters. Dorothy Walpole's ghost was even said to be doing double duty, haunting Norfolk's Sandringham House as her young, happy self, and appearing at Raynham Hall as an old, bitter hag.

In 1936, magazine photographers Captain Provand and Indre Shira were on a shoot at Raynham when Shira reportedly saw the ghost on a staircase. Provand then took the picture shown here. This is unlike the majority of ghost photos, in which the ghost is generally undetected by the photographer until the film has been processed.

The Brown Lady photo has been widely hailed as one of the most undeniably authentic ghost photos ever taken. But many experts, including investigative writer and photo analyst Joe Nickell, have agreed that the image was faked by compositing two images together.

sources ~ parascope.com/mysteriousbritain.co.uk

YB · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject:

This is the only bad thing I hate about ghost sites. Are the pics real or not. The only way you will ever know is if you take one yourself. I still wonder if this pic is real or not... hope it is cause it would really bum be out if it wasnt.

ghost_town · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 10

I remember being spooked by that pic as a kid when I saw it in a book I was given about ghosts. Despite being a strong believer in the paranormal, I have my doubts about this one.

When it comes to photos, someone took one of me and my gf (now my ex!) on Charles Bridge in Prague a few years back and it is quite strange. There is a bolt of light almost passing between us, with an eery statue situated behind us. Must take another look some time, as I've not seen it in a while. Spooked us at the time though... maybe a sign of what was to come!

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject:

Do you suppose you can post that picture for all of us to see?

flossy · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: picy

yes please if you dont mind Very Happy

InTenebris · Joined: 23 Nov 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Cambridge

Sounds intriguing. Do share that pic, if you can. Very Happy

I love the Raynham Hall picture. Like most of us, I expect, I saw this at an early age and it still fascinates me to this day. It has a quality about it. Even if it is a fake - I must admit I have always taken it at face value - then it was done by someone who really understood what it is about ghosts that we find so enthralling.