Above: Jim Templeton Documentary: The 1964 Solway Spaceman Photo Incident
---------------------------
The Solway Firth photograph, 1964:
During 1964, a day out to take family pictures led to the capture of an image so unusual that it became internationally famous; a mystery which in turn, also exposed a possibly coincidental connection with nuclear weapons.
On 23 May 1964, Jim Templeton, a firefighter from Carlisle, Cumberland (now part of Cumbria), took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while on a day trip to Burgh Marsh, situated near Burgh by Sands, overlooking the Solway Firth in Cumbria.
Templeton said the only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the Daily Mail in 2002, Templeton stated, "I took three pictures of my daughter Elizabeth in a similar pose - and was shocked when the middle picture came back from Kodak displaying what looks like a spaceman in the background."
The witness insists that he did not see the figure until after his photographs were developed, and analysts at Kodak confirmed that the photograph was genuine. Wikipedia.
Simplistic take on this case
This is what Wikipedia now says about the famous Solway Firth Spaceman image, shot in 1964 by fireman, photographer and local historian Jim Templeton (13 February 1920 – 27 November 2011).
'A contemporary analysis suggested that the figure was probably the photographer's wife, standing with her back towards the camera, her dress appearing white due to overexposure.[3]'
So, I did a quick experiment to see if they were right.
Above: Original case image
Using the best quality image available from this case, I copied the head of the supposed 'Photographers wife', put it through a negative filter... and that's all.
Looks a bit odd to say the least doesn't it?
Above: BEAMS analysis of the
mystery figure's head
I realise that we all see what we want to see, but I'm sorry, this still doesn't look like the 'back' of anyone to me, or a jogger 'running by', as some other cynics have claimed.
This seems to be a case of it is what it is... the front of a suited figure with a very strange face staring out from behind the visor of its helmet.
Above: Definitive detail
On a final note it has to be said...'my
Mrs Templeton, what rather muscular arms you have!
been working out?'
An investigation for BEAMS by Kenneth John Parsons
All cited images text and music in (or on) this video are used under the Fair Use Interpretation of Copyright Laws. All others are used by permission.
