December 03, 2008
Strange False Head Photo
Dean Terry in Our Strange World:
At first this photo seems to be a couple with a large head floating between them. But look again - things aren’t always what they seem.
Most people who look at this old photograph will probably see a large bearded head between the two figures. It looks like an image of Jesus.
You’ll probably think it’s just a crude hoax from bygone days. But look again, carefully. This is not a hoax at all. What the photo actually shows is a child sitting on the man’s knee.
Block out the head’s “hair.” That’s just a collection of foliage in the background. The “eye” is the face the child, shadowed by a large white bonnet. The “nose” is the sleeve of the child’s shirt. And the “mustache” is the child’s arm, bent at the elbow.
Be patient. It may take you awhile to see this.
Posted by Abbas Raza at 04:52 AM | Permalink
Comments
That is striking. Even after you see it, it's hard not to revert to the original interpretation.
Posted by: Michael Drake | Dec 3, 2008 12:02:38 PM
Was this photo staged?
Posted by: Jared | Dec 3, 2008 12:05:26 PM
The "Christ" profile looks rather Coptic/Byzantine in that the eye facing us is dead on rather than sideways.
As for the "child" on the man's knee it is clearly a juvenile chimpanzee between four to six months of age (if it's a bonobo then we could advance it's age by another two months). The arm is dark and hairy, the hand has longer fingers than those of a human child, the deposition of the thumb relation to the hand is clearly simian and the chimp's muzzle protrudes beyond the edge the sun bonnet in a manner consistent with a primate of that age.
Why is the infant chimp dressed as a human baby? Who is the man and his female confederate?
Possibly, we are looking at the only known photograph of the infamous French vivisectionist, "Prof." Emile Morot shortly before his hasty departure for England (the Paris police wanted to question him about certain events in the Rue Morgue district-he obviously did not wish to provide answers). Once in England, Morot became the leading taxidermist for the elite of London. African hunting trophies, rare near extinct animals, beloved pets and at least one utilitarian philosopher passed thorough his shop in Whitechapel. His circle of patrons and associates included the Royal Family, Alan Quartermain, Charles Darwin, and a young writer named H.G.Wells.
As for the infant chimp, the census records for the Whitechapel district list an adolescent son, Darius Morot living in the apartment above the taxidermy shop until November 1888. After that date there is no further record of such a person.
Posted by: PeteChapman | Dec 3, 2008 12:36:42 PM
Seriously now...great "crank" site. Thanks for the link Abbas.
Posted by: PeteChapman | Dec 3, 2008 12:40:51 PM
So what does it mean that I saw the child in a bonnet first and the floating head only after instruction?
Posted by: Vicki Baker | Dec 3, 2008 1:50:26 PM
I also had to resort to the descriptions to see the face rather than the child.
Posted by: bifyu | Dec 3, 2008 3:17:26 PM
Me too - I was thinking "there is something odd about that baby..."
then I read the instructions, looked aimlessly about the clouds first (above the creased line) finally dropped my eyes, and Poof! There was Jesus.
Now it's hard to look only at the baby.
Posted by: reader | Dec 3, 2008 4:31:27 PM
I don't know, that is some awesomely groomed foliage.
The man likes it so much, he is almost eating it.
Posted by: pebird | Dec 3, 2008 10:23:08 PM
Clearly, the toddler in the oversize bonnet is Christopher Robin. If you look carefully, you may also see Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger cavorting in the foliage.
Posted by: CriticalMassI | Dec 4, 2008 5:10:58 PM
Wait.
What?
Posted by: Tim Brauhn | Dec 6, 2008 12:44:30 AM
It's the baby Jesus sitting on the man's knee!
Posted by: Rob | Dec 7, 2008 9:17:30 PM
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