From the Mouths of Babes

I recently spoke at a school Career Fair with classes of 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. Try as I might, they really weren't as interested in what I did or what I'd learned in school as it was the ghostly photographs that grabbed the attention. And whether you spell it "gost" "goast" or "ghost," these kids had plenty to say...

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hey Mrs. Maddox,

I think you have an interesting career! I love your profession and think you are an interesting lady. You're career is risky--

p.s. barlys is "NOT" haunted.

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Dear Ms. Maddox,
Thank you for coming. I am really intrested in ghosts.
Sincerely,
V.
P.S. Your a brave person.

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Dear Ms Maddox
Thank you for showing us those pictures of those ghost they could be a little scary but when I get a little older I could come
sincerely
A.G.
P.S ghost are scary

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So I'm interesting, brave and a risk-taker?! And Barley's not haunted? The staff who have had paranormal experiences may not buy into that. And how else to explain the image in the blog "Barley's Boo" (December 7, 2009) or this picture taken in front of Barley's door!?

The Most Famous Ghost Picture

Faking paranormal pictures is an age-old practice and has gone on as long as people have been taking photos. There are some famous images, however, who are considered genuine -- having stood up to time, studies, investigations and laboratory tests. The portrait below is arguably the most famous of this elite grouping.

The Brown Lady
Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, and his wife Dorothy Townshend, were residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s. Before their nuptials, it was rumored that Dorothy had been a mistress of Lord Wharton and the Viscount came to believe the affair had never ended. Although legal records say Dorothy died and was buried in 1726, it is suspected that Charles staged a fake funeral and kept his wife locked away until her death many years later.





















The Sightings
Dorothy's ghost is said to haunt Raynham Hall, particularly the oak staircase. While staying at Raynham Hall in the early 1800s, King George IV witnessed the spectre as a woman in a brown dress standing beside his bed. Christmas 1835: Colonel Loftus saw her twice in her brown satin dress. A few years after, Captain Frederick Marryat and two friends also witnessed The Brown Lady gliding along an upstairs hallway carrying a lantern. Marryat fired a pistol at the apparition. The bullet passed through it.

This famous photo was taken in September, 1936 by Captain Provand and Indre Shira, two photographers who were assigned to photograph Raynham Hall for Country Life magazine. It was published in the December 16, 1936 issue.

The Brown Lady is still seen occasionally.

And When The Mist Rolls In

Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours guarantee paranormal photographs. Most of our guests' pictures involve orbs, but 15 to 20 percent of our paranormal photographs involve apparitions, half-apparitions or the form of a ghost known as an ectoplasmic mist. This mist shows up as a seemingly swirling, thick fog that appears when an apparition is either beginning or ending its manifestation. Therefore, faces and bodies will sometimes manifest within the mist. (See the photo on the February 2010's "Chattanooga Choo Choo Chimera" blog for a good example of this phenomenon.)

Although predominantly white, ectoplasmic mist can appear in many colors. It can be captured by either camera or video and has been known to affect paranormal meters and gauges.

Skeptics attribute this mist to moisture, climatic fog, smoke, cigarette smoke, steam or breath in the cold. The picture below, though, doesn't appear to fit any of these alternate explanations. Taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway by one of our guests, this ectoplasmic mist is far enough away from the photographer to debunk breath or smoke and isn't shaped like climatic fog.

To avoid confusion, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds before taking a picture in colder temperatures and avoid smokers. Taking 3 photos in quick succession also helps eliminate the possibility of external factors. A lone mist, orb or apparition in the photographic succession adds validity that you have indeed captured the paranormal.

The Tipping Point

It's been a hellacious winter. Schools have missed between 11 - 16 days of school, thousands of trees downed by heavy snow and ice, 50,000+ homes without power for days. Ghosts don't mind; they're always out. And so apparently are ghost hunters -- even when maybe we shouldn't be??!

Take the above group for example. They set Ghost Hunter of Asheville's all-time record for braving the cold to seek spirits. The stats:

* Wind Chill Advisory
* Wind: 33 mph
* Temperature: 13.7 degrees
* Humidity: 84%
* Wind Chill: 7 degrees

We had numerous tours when it was exceedingly cold this winter. So many that I had to finally implement a 20 Degree Rule . . . If windchill was less than 20 degrees, we wouldn't go out. That didn't stop paranormal enthusiasts calling on those nights though. Now THAT'S hard core ghost hunting! :)