Apparition of the "Brown Lady", 1936


Photograph ©Country Life Magazine, Captain Provand and Indre Shira, 1936

This famous photo was taken in Raynham Hall in England, by two photographers from the Country Life magazine in 1936. The apparition is believed to be Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, the 2nd Viscount of Raynham. This same apparition has been spotted more than once. According to Indre Shira, one of the photographers, this is what happened: "Captain Provand took one photograph while I flashed the light. He was focusing for another exposure; I was standing by his side just behind the camera with the flashlight pistol in my hand, looking directly up the staircase. All at once I detected an ethereal veiled form coming slowly down the stairs. Rather excitedly, I called out sharply: 'Quick, quick, there's something.' I pressed the trigger of the flashlight pistol. After the flash and on closing the shutter, Captain Provand removed the focusing cloth from his head and turning to me said: 'What's all the excitement about?'"