Does anyone know anything about this photo?

Originally posted by Hope_for_reason
Could it not be possible it is a woman facing away who is wearing a head scarf? This would explain the details of the scarf and the postion of the arm.

Could you draw on the picture to show the scarf? I'm not seeing it yet.

If what you're suggesting is correct, the hand is unnaturally placed on the buttocks. That is what has always made the figure look stiff and awkward. But if the position of the arm is in front of the body, hand probably in the front pocket, then the standing position becomes quite natural looking.

If facing away, the point where the arm joins the body is a lat. If facing forwards, it's a pec. Look at the shading in Rhain's photo. Is that a back or a chest? I see two pecs. It looks like a chest to me.

I agree that the figure has it's back to the girl. After reviewing Rhain's Better Picture again, the best I can come-up with is:

A dark complected individual, with their head turned slightly right, and facing down a bit. If the figure is wearing a cap, then to my eye, the clothing might resemble a white sailors uniform, with the collar flap on the back catching a little breeze.

I'm totally reaching here, so I'll stop. Like H_f_r said...regardless of who, or what...if you believe the photographer and his wife...how did it get there?

Interesting story.


Peace &
Good Fortune
OBE1

I hereby officially give up!

I agree that if you look at the original picture, it appears that the back is turned to the girl.

But I still say the enhancement destroys the illusion--it's a guy in a hat smoking a pipe, he's looking right at the camera, his hand is on his hip or in his front pocket, and the wind from behind is puffing up his sweater.

I've been running across this picture for so many years, I was excited to finally see it a new way. Unfortunately, I can't get anyone to see what I'm seeing, so I'll have to leave it at that.

I do see what your getting at yuefo I really do! I guess this one can not ever have a straight answer you either believe in the photographer, in that case it's a great snapshot of who knows what! Or you conclude that the photographer got it wrong and it is in fact just a person who got in the way of photograph.

Seems to me what we are actually being shown, might be the back of a being? The apparent helmet stuff, No idea, no thought? Cool figure whatever it is.

Dallas

Woomera, Australia:


Not long afterwards the editor of the Cumberland News newspaper contacted Jim and asked if he could borrow the negative to send a copy out to Australia. Apparently the photograph had appeared in the press there and staff working at the Woomera test range area in Southern Australia had seen it. Jim was told that the day after he took his photograph, a Blue Streak space rocket was due to be launched from Woomera in Australia. The countdown was postponed when two automatic survey camera had independently spotted two large figures in the firing area during the countdown phase. They were very similar in appearance to Jim's mysterious visitor. At the time of the launch, the photograph had not reached Australia and the staff had no knowledge of the bizarre image.

The Woomera missile test range was run by Group Captain Tom Dalton-Morgan from 1959-1963 and he came forward with his own story. Prior to the test firing of an earlier "Blue Streak" rocket, observers stationed 100 miles down range called to tell Tom that there was a "light" heading his way at incredible speed, towards restricted air space. Tom and several scientists watched as the light circled the facility, then shot away and vanished. He remarked that he "could not conceive of any plane or missile that was able to perform the maneuvers seen by my team". He said UFOs were frequently seen in the area and that in 1964 they had aborted the launch of another test when a "white being" was seen on the automatic security cameras.

The incident seems to be vaguely mentioned in the "Flight trial of F1 - 5th June, 1961," report by Officer in Scientific Charge H.G.R. Robinson:


During the period immediately prior to 25th May outstanding problems concerning range safety and instrumental coverage were resolved with the Range Authorities.

The report also lists a long series of various technical incidents with the several subsequent Blue Streak missiles test launches. Obviously no Blue Streak was launched on May 23, 1964 or before the first launch on June 5, 1964.

Jim Templeton then also discovered that Blue Streak rockets were being manufactured in the UK at Spadeadam, a location several miles away from Burgh Marsh on the Carlisle to Newcastle road.

There is a letter in the Public Records Office in Kew, London uncovered by ufologist Jenny Randles which is dated 1964 December 29th referring to the Cumberland Spaceman by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). In it are references by the Department of Scientific and Technical Intelligence (DSTI) of an investigation into the matter. Another letter there dated 1964 June 15th is from a reporter enquiring about the aborted launch and the film in question which shows an extraordinary object hovering nearby that is 'impossible to miss'. A response to this letter from the MOD informs the reporter that he should contact them if he wishes to view the film.

Mysteriously, in the series of film canisters holding the Blue Streak missile launches, one is missing. The missing canister is the film of the launches for the week beginning Sunday, May 23, 1964.

UFOs have been seen in the Burgh Marsh and Carlisle area over the years and it is believed by some investigators and witnesses that the focus of their attention lies in the Chapel Cross Atomic Power Station some 15 miles north-west of Carlisle.

Some reports of this matter detail that a subsequent roll of film developed for Jim Templeton had some negatives missing, which he suspects were taken by the government. These reports are unconfirmed.

No explanation:
Nobody came up with a credible explanation for the photograph since then. Nobody understands how the supposed being on the photograph was invisible to Jim and his family. That the two places on the planet where these figures have been seen are the two locations pivotal to the Blue Streak missile programme remains puzzling. The visiting "Men in Black" are still not identified.

Even today, more than three decades later, the picture still defies any rational explanation.

REFERENCES:

"Encounters" magazine, July 1996.
"Secrets Of The Paranormal," hosted by Jenny Randles BBC2.
"Flight trial of F1 - 5th June, 1961," report by Officer in Scientific Charge H.G.R. Robinson.
"
", article in the saily Mail newspaper, London, December 13, 2002.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Dr John Becklake, The Science Museum:

"The concept and the size and the power of Blue Streak was almost equal to anything else in the world. It was equivalent to the Atlas missile which America was developing. I mean the technology came from America, it's true, but the development which went on in Britain and the actual Blue Streak itself with a thrust of about 140 tons, was about equal to anything in the world. It wasn't as powerful as some of the Russians', but it was in the first division if you like."

"Well the news that Blue Streak was cancelled as a weapon [13th April 1960] came to us as we, the whole team, including our Chief Engineer, were travelling to the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham to make a presentation on Blue Streak as a weapon. There was no intimation given by the Government to Rolls Royce or De Havilland even twenty four hours before. And it came as a complete shock. I remember that day very vividly [...]"
After the cancellation as a weapon, Blue Streak missiles - or more accurately, rockets - were the backbone of the ELDO project, a European space initiave by the U-K. The Blue Streak rocket was transported by ship from Spadeadam, U-K, to Woomera, Australia. The tests had many small incidents, but overall they were remarkably successful. The rocket by then was more known as "Europa" than "Blue Streak," and the 5 June launch was a European project: U-K provided everything but the upper stages of the rocket which were german and French. Nevertheless, in 1968, the U-K Government abandonned its civilian rocket program.

Thanks for that Wigit, thats an amazing bit of info, It would be great to be able to see any pics of the figures spotted at the Blue Streak site in OZ I wonder just how similar they would be.

As for the fact that the sightings were both linked to the Blue Streak project that seems more than a coincidence.

I can't believe I had never heard this info before, Especially if it as never been proven false.

I know its very easy to always connect puzzling events to ET/UFO's etc. But surely this one does fit that catorgory, a genuine WTF moment!

Appears to me in the side by side picture(with a clearer enchanced version on the right) posted earlier in the thread, that it's a decently built black man, standing with his back to the picture, wearing a white golf cap, a pair of black frame glasses(they seem very clear to me, even the piece coming over his right ear to hold them on is visible. Also seems he's wearing a tight white long-sleeve shirt.

How the guy didn't notice this man out there in what seems to be a pretty desolate wide open area, that I have no idea. Especially if he took 3 pictures all in the same general angle, with his daughter posing the same way, you'd think he's see the person in the second picture, no matter how hard he was concentrating on his subject

This is the picture I was refering to, the one on the right is very clear:

Better Picture



[edit on 1-7-2007 by Nola213]

[edit on 1-7-2007 by Nola213]

I know this is primitive, but I thought maybe I could show what I mean easier than describing it. Keep in mind, the wind is blowing towards the camera, puffing up his sweater.

I think one of the following 2 scenarios is the likely solution. I like #2 the best:

1) When he developed the photo, he didn't notice or didn't remember that a guy briefly stopped in the background. When he got the picture, he couldn't explain what he was seeing. Then his imagination got the better of him, and he connected a couple odd occurrences to the photo.

2) He knew that a guy had stopping briefly in the background all along. However, he decided that, since the picture of him was unrecognizable and reminiscent of a spaceman, he would purposely make a mystery out of it for fun. It was also a way to immortalize his daughter.

Originally posted by yuefo
I posted Rhain's enhancement directly to the thread so it's easier to discuss.

Here's what I see:


* He's facing the camera. His forearm is foreshortened, and that combined with the bulky sweater has always made him look like he is facing away, but he's not. In reality, his left hand is probably in his front pocket.

I don't see him looking at the camera. In fact, I don't see any features what so ever that resembles a face or front.

Edit: I've made my own changes. I see this as a proof that this isnt a face. It doesnt follow the lines. Picture

[edit on 1/7/07 by Thain Esh Kelch]

I would almost DEFINITELY say this man was facing away from the camera.

Several reasons, but these are the most important:

* Adjacent to the top of his arm is a shadow running down his back (on the right hand side). The highlight and the shadow look very much to me like the protrusion of a shoulder bone.

* Look at his extended arm (on our right). The lower forearm has a deep shadow that suggests it is being covered by the elbow and the rest of the arm above. This, to me, suggests that we are looking at the back of the arm, and not the front.

The pose, I say, is definitely from behind. I cannot account for the head area - as it does not look like the front or back of a head. But I do feel I am right about the perspective this picture was taken from.

This demonstrates the 'back view' hypothesis. The image has been enhanced and rotated to align the horizon. This alignment gets rid of the 'strange angle' the mystery person is leaning at. There still remains the problem of the height of the figure when you consider how far away from the girl the figure must be.

There is clearly a strong wind at the time the picture was taken as evidenced by the girl's hair being blown forward. Some of the details in the figure - the 'shoulder bag strap', for instance - may be illusions created by stray hairs.

I don't see this image as having a pipe but a different type of apparatus. I was able to locate a simular stance of a hazmat suit. I know the sizes are different but the straps positioning and hood make for good comparisons.

Hazmat

I'm an ITC (Instrumental Transcommunication) researcher and experimenter and one of the tell tale signs of allegedly paranormal photo's, such as this one. is to search for anomalous etheric 'faces' in the photograph. So naturally, the first place I went to in this photo was to see if there was any kind of face seen in the helmet of this spaceman. The logic is, if there are anomalous faces or parts of a faces seen in such photo's, then this in itself opens up those possibilities that the object, in this case, the spaceman, is also paranormally anomalous. Interestingly enough, this seems to be the case for this photograph because not only was there a face in the helmet, there were also other anomalous 'faces' in other sections of this photograph too. But the most prominent one showed up in the helmet. I should add that most of the time, these anomalous faces are unusual due to any number of weird distortions seen in their facial features. Those distortions are very recognizable for those of us who experiment in ITC and they are a typical feature of this phenomenon. And also, usually such ITC faces are not seen in their entirety and by this I mean, one may only see half or only part of the 'face', as what we are seeing in this case with this face in the spaceman's helmet.
At any rate, I expect that many of you here will not be able to 'see' this face in the helmet very clearly because for some reason, some people have to practice looking at such photo's and images to get the hang of it. It calls for a trained eye and a certain amount of visual acuity to detect and 'see' such images as these. If you are having problems seeing the face in this helmet, I suggest you back away a bit from your computer screen to view it from a distance.





[edit on 1-7-2007 by Palasheea]

Since only the left side of that face in that helmet was showing up, I was curious to see what this being might look like if I did a quick sketch on what would be the other side of its face to show its full face at an angle. Below is that image. It definitely looks like a being from 'someplace' else.

in the country, white suit, mesh face guard = beekeeper

Originally posted by corda
I would almost DEFINITELY say this man was facing away from the camera.

Several reasons, but these are the most important:

* Adjacent to the top of his arm is a shadow running down his back (on the right hand side). The highlight and the shadow look very much to me like the protrusion of a shoulder bone.

This is the effect of the wind puffing up his sweater. What looks like a shoulder bone in the regular photo looks like a pectoral muscle in the negative. In fact, he's got two pecs. In the normal photo, it's inevitable to see it as a shoulder bone because of the illusion created by the sweater's puffiness on the arm.

* Look at his extended arm (on our right). The lower forearm has a deep shadow that suggests it is being covered by the elbow and the rest of the arm above. This, to me, suggests that we are looking at the back of the arm, and not the front.

This doesn't really make sense because the light is coming from the left. Whether he's facing away or towards the camera, the shadow is still going to be there.

Originally posted by Rhain
I don't see this image as having a pipe but a different type of apparatus. I was able to locate a simular stance of a hazmat suit. I know the sizes are different but the straps positioning and hood make for good comparisons.

Hazmat

I want to make sure I understand. You're saying the small rectangular artifact just to the side and below where the mouth would be and where one would expect a pipe bowl to be looks more like a gas mask of some kind?

I like the beekeeper idea, it does kinda resemble one with the black "mesh" face and would explain why you might be able to see the outline of a face or something through it..

I've seen this picture for a number of years now, I believe the name frequently given to the photo is "The Cumbrian Spaceman" and also "The Cumberland Spaceman".

UFO Magazine did a few pages spread on it a few years back, analysing the photo and investigating it in depth. If theres any interest I could see if I can dig it out and scan the pages for everybody to have a look at?

I find it also interesting that littered throughout UFO history/folklore are reports of these "visitors" in spacesuits.

Whilst I don't know the legitimacy of this article I just found it after a quick google search to highlight these reoccuring "spaceman" stories www.uk-ufo.org...

Originally posted by andychelt
I like the beekeeper idea, it does kinda resemble one with the black "mesh" face and would explain why you might be able to see the outline of a face or something through it..

I agree. It's a little odd for someone to be wandering around with the helmet on, but it would explain the photo.

UFO Magazine did a few pages spread on it a few years back, analysing the photo and investigating it in depth. If theres any interest I could see if I can dig it out and scan the pages for everybody to have a look at?

Yes, I'm interested. Offhand, do you recall what their photo analysis showed?

[edit on 7/1/2007 by yuefo]