Solway Firth Spaceman: Difference between revisions
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[[File:SolwayfirthSpaceman.jpg|thumb|The photograph of Templeton's daughter Elizabeth shows a white figure projecting at an angle behind her back.]] |
[[File:SolwayfirthSpaceman.jpg|thumb|The photograph of Templeton's daughter Elizabeth shows a white figure projecting at an angle behind her back.]] |
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The '''Solway Firth Spaceman''' (also known as the '''Solway Spaceman''' and the '''Cumberland Spaceman''') refers to a photograph taken in 1964 at Burgh Marsh, situated near [[Burgh by Sands]] and overlooking the [[Solway Firth]] in [[Cumbria]], [[England]]. The image shows in the background a white figure in what the photographer Jim Templeton took for a [[space suit]]. While it has been suggested by some that the figure is merely someone with their back to the camera from what looks like a prominent shoulder blade |
The '''Solway Firth Spaceman''' (also known as the '''Solway Spaceman''' and the '''Cumberland Spaceman''') refers to a photograph taken in 1964 at Burgh Marsh, situated near [[Burgh by Sands]] and overlooking the [[Solway Firth]] in [[Cumbria]], [[England]]. The image shows in the background a white figure in what the photographer Jim Templeton took for a [[space suit]]. While it has been suggested by some that the figure is merely someone with their back to the camera from what looks like a prominent shoulder blade perhaps wearing a hat or helmet, Templeton insists that he did not see anyone present when the photograph was taken. The image has attracted interest from [[ufology|ufologists]] and has become a source of international fascination.<ref name="Lytollis">Lytollis, R. "[http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/1.76788 E.T. phone Cumbria]". ''Times & Star'', 7 July 2007. Retrieved on 4 November 2009.</ref> |
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== History behind the photograph == |
== History behind the photograph == |
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On 23 May 1964, Jim Templeton, a firefighter from [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]], [[Cumberland]] (now part of [[Cumbria]]), took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while on a day trip to Burgh Marsh.<ref name="Lytollis"/> The only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car, and although cows and sheep would have normally been plentiful, they were huddled together at the far end of the marsh. |
On 23 May 1964, Jim Templeton, a firefighter from [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]], [[Cumberland]] (now part of [[Cumbria]]), took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while on a day trip to Burgh Marsh.<ref name="Lytollis"/> The only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car, and although cows and sheep would have normally been plentiful, they were huddled together at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' in 2002, Templeton recalled, "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."<ref name="Whitehaven">Whitehaven News "[http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/home/famous_ufo_sightings_from_the_past_1_578420?referrerPath=home/ufos] Famous UFO sightings from the past</ref> Templeton insists that he did not see the figure until after his photographs were developed, and analysts at Kodak confirmed that the photograph was genuine.<ref name="Lytollis" /> |
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== Publicity == |
== Publicity == |
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Templeton tells of a visit after the photograph was published by two men who, he says, claimed to be from Her Majesty's Government, |
Templeton tells of a visit after the photograph was published by two men who, he says, claimed to be from Her Majesty's Government, but refused to show their identification.<ref name="Lytollis" /> He says that they referred to each other as numbers and asked him questions about the weather conditions on the day of the photograph and about the activities of local bird life. They drove Templeton to the marsh, where he says they tried to make him admit that he had in fact photographed a passer-by — a suggestion that he strongly rejected. The men then became angry and drove away leaving him stranded on the marsh five miles from home. |
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Templeton said of the photograph: "I took the picture to the police in Carlisle who, after many doubts, examined it and stated there was nothing suspicious about it. The local newspaper, the ''Cumberland News'', picked up the story and within hours it was all over the world. The picture is certainly not a fake, and I am as bemused as anyone else as to how this image appeared in the background. Over the four decades the photo has been in the public domain, I have had many thousands of letters from all over the world with various ideas or possibilities - most of which make little sense to me." Templeton asserted that he had experienced no financial gain as a result of distributing the photograph, nor did he ever pursue it.<ref name=" |
Templeton said of the photograph: "I took the picture to the police in Carlisle who, after many doubts, examined it and stated there was nothing suspicious about it. The local newspaper, the ''Cumberland News'', picked up the story and within hours it was all over the world. The picture is certainly not a fake, and I am as bemused as anyone else as to how this image appeared in the background. Over the four decades the photo has been in the public domain, I have had many thousands of letters from all over the world with various ideas or possibilities - most of which make little sense to me." Templeton asserted that he had experienced no financial gain as a result of distributing the photograph, nor did he ever pursue it.<ref name="Whitehaven"></ref> In an interview recorded for [[BBC]] television, Templeton spoke candidly about the photograph, saying: "Who is he? Where's he from? Those are the two questions we want answered."<ref name="bbclooknorth">{{cite episode |title= Jim Templeton interview|episodelink= |series= [[BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria)|BBC Look North]]|serieslink= |credits= |network= [[BBC]]|station= [[BBC One]]|airdate= January 10, 2008|season= |seriesno= |number= 1/1|minutes= |url= }}</ref> The case was also covered in the [[BBC One]] series ''Secrets of the Paranormal'', presented by [[Jenny Randles]]. |
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In a BBC Look North interview and a letter to The Daily Mail, Templeton claimed that a [[Blue Streak (missile)|Blue Streak]] missile launch at the [[Woomera Test Range]] had been aborted because the figures of two large men were seen on the firing range. Templeton alleged that technicians later saw his photograph in an Australian newspaper and found the figures to be "exactly the same type of man, same dress, same figure, same size". <ref name="bbclooknorth"/><ref name=" |
In a BBC Look North interview and a letter to The Daily Mail, Templeton claimed that a [[Blue Streak (missile)|Blue Streak]] missile launch at the [[Woomera Test Range]] had been aborted because the figures of two large men were seen on the firing range. Templeton alleged that technicians later saw his photograph in an Australian newspaper and found the figures to be "exactly the same type of man, same dress, same figure, same size". <ref name="bbclooknorth"/><ref name="Whitehaven"></ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 17:23, 29 August 2011
The Solway Firth Spaceman (also known as the Solway Spaceman and the Cumberland Spaceman) refers to a photograph taken in 1964 at Burgh Marsh, situated near Burgh by Sands and overlooking the Solway Firth in Cumbria, England. The image shows in the background a white figure in what the photographer Jim Templeton took for a space suit. While it has been suggested by some that the figure is merely someone with their back to the camera from what looks like a prominent shoulder blade perhaps wearing a hat or helmet, Templeton insists that he did not see anyone present when the photograph was taken. The image has attracted interest from ufologists and has become a source of international fascination.[1]
History behind the photograph
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.[1] The only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old ladies sitting in a car, and although cows and sheep would have normally been plentiful, they were huddled together at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the Daily Mail in 2002, Templeton recalled, "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."[2] Templeton insists that he did not see the figure until after his photographs were developed, and analysts at Kodak confirmed that the photograph was genuine.[1]
Publicity
Templeton tells of a visit after the photograph was published by two men who, he says, claimed to be from Her Majesty's Government, but refused to show their identification.[1] He says that they referred to each other as numbers and asked him questions about the weather conditions on the day of the photograph and about the activities of local bird life. They drove Templeton to the marsh, where he says they tried to make him admit that he had in fact photographed a passer-by — a suggestion that he strongly rejected. The men then became angry and drove away leaving him stranded on the marsh five miles from home.
Templeton said of the photograph: "I took the picture to the police in Carlisle who, after many doubts, examined it and stated there was nothing suspicious about it. The local newspaper, the Cumberland News, picked up the story and within hours it was all over the world. The picture is certainly not a fake, and I am as bemused as anyone else as to how this image appeared in the background. Over the four decades the photo has been in the public domain, I have had many thousands of letters from all over the world with various ideas or possibilities - most of which make little sense to me." Templeton asserted that he had experienced no financial gain as a result of distributing the photograph, nor did he ever pursue it.[2] In an interview recorded for BBC television, Templeton spoke candidly about the photograph, saying: "Who is he? Where's he from? Those are the two questions we want answered."[3] The case was also covered in the BBC One series Secrets of the Paranormal, presented by Jenny Randles.
In a BBC Look North interview and a letter to The Daily Mail, Templeton claimed that a Blue Streak missile launch at the Woomera Test Range had been aborted because the figures of two large men were seen on the firing range. Templeton alleged that technicians later saw his photograph in an Australian newspaper and found the figures to be "exactly the same type of man, same dress, same figure, same size". [3][2]
References
- ^ a b c d Lytollis, R. "E.T. phone Cumbria". Times & Star, 7 July 2007. Retrieved on 4 November 2009.
- ^ a b c Whitehaven News "[1] Famous UFO sightings from the past
- ^ a b "Jim Templeton interview". BBC Look North. Episode 1/1. January 10, 2008. BBC. BBC One.
{{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|episodelink=,|seriesno=, and|serieslink=(help)
External links
- Thompson, A. "Famous UFO sightings from the past". Whitehaven News (16 August 2005).
- Story, Chris. "Suspected UFO sighting leads to Cumbria hotspot claim.". News & Star (25 February 2009).
