The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall
A photograph of a country-house staircase shows a pale, veiled figure coming down the steps.
What was reported
Raynham Hall has been said since the 1830s to be visited by a lady in a brown dress, linked to Lady Dorothy Townshend, who lived there in the early 1700s.
In September 1936, Captain Hubert Provand and Indre Shira were photographing the house for Country Life magazine. Shira said he saw a misty figure on the main staircase and asked Provand to take a picture. The result, published in December, shows a translucent, robed shape on the stairs and is one of the most famous pictures of its kind.
Explanations offered
Sceptics suggest a double exposure or one photograph laid over another, or grease on the lens; some say the figure resembles a statue of the Virgin Mary. Provand said the image wasn't faked. The original has not been tested with modern methods.
- When
- Photographed in September 1936
- Where
- Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England
- Witnesses
- Two photographers working for Country Life
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.