In 1981, a historic house in Salem, Massachusetts, is purchased and converted into offices. At Christmas that year, a polaroid taken in the building caught something strange and quite frightening.
Was a dead 'witch' captured in this photo?
Fact or Fiction? You Decide!
Was a dead 'witch' captured in this photo?
Fact or Fiction? You Decide!
A Creepy Photograph
Is this a photo of a 'Witch'? In 1981, Carlson Realty purchased this beautiful Salem, Massachusetts, home in order to convert it into their realty offices. At Christmas that year, a employee of the office started taking polaroid photos of the employees, to hang in a Christmas wreath, that adorned one of the offices doors.
However, when one of the polaroids finished its processing, it showed something inexplicable. There, in what was supposed to be a photo of one of the female realtors (head and shoulder shot) was something quite different. The framing had changed and now was a wider shot which showed a rather thin woman, in an old style dark coloured dress with quite wild and frizzy black hair.
This was not the same image as what was present in the viewfinder at the time the photo was taken.
This rightly confused the office workers who could not explain the image. Within a few years it started to be published in books. Soon people began referring to the image as a 'witch' and the reason for that is quite simple.
However, when one of the polaroids finished its processing, it showed something inexplicable. There, in what was supposed to be a photo of one of the female realtors (head and shoulder shot) was something quite different. The framing had changed and now was a wider shot which showed a rather thin woman, in an old style dark coloured dress with quite wild and frizzy black hair.
This was not the same image as what was present in the viewfinder at the time the photo was taken.
This rightly confused the office workers who could not explain the image. Within a few years it started to be published in books. Soon people began referring to the image as a 'witch' and the reason for that is quite simple.
Joshua Ward House. The Joshua Ward House was one of the first brick houses to be built in Salem, Massachusetts. It was built by wealthy merchant sea captain Joshua Ward in 1784. However before the three storey brick building came to be built on the site a much more simple building stood in its place – the home of George Corwin, High Sheriff of Essex County and a signer of the warrants for arrest and execution during the Salem Witch Trials.
George Corwin eventually died of a heart attack in 1696. Corwin was not buried for some time as one of those accused during the witch trials was awaiting reimbursal from the crown of property he was forced to forfeit to Sheriff Corwin. His body remained in the cellar of his home until the legal issues were sorted and then the burial could take place. Maybe Corwin is doomed to spend eternity on that land with one of his 'witches' tormenting his soul?
George Corwin eventually died of a heart attack in 1696. Corwin was not buried for some time as one of those accused during the witch trials was awaiting reimbursal from the crown of property he was forced to forfeit to Sheriff Corwin. His body remained in the cellar of his home until the legal issues were sorted and then the burial could take place. Maybe Corwin is doomed to spend eternity on that land with one of his 'witches' tormenting his soul?
However there is another explanation put forward to the photograph. That it is in fact the photo as taken, that of a female realtor in the office, however with dark clothing and dark hair blending into a Christmas wreath behind her, creating the illusion of wild hair...
Another version of these events has also popped up, that another employee of the realtor office had had a photo taken of herself and when it finished its process was shocked by what she saw. The same day a strange woman, as described as looking like the 'witch' in the photo, was seen a little while before it was taken.
There have been reports of many strange happenings at Joshua Ward House, sounds, voices, objects having been moved and of course the 'witch' herself.
Was a 'witch' captured in this photo?
Or is it just one of the workers, the polaroid photo misprocessing or the fact the photo was taken in front of a wreath and forgotten?
Maybe its an outright hoax?
Or maybe something else entirely?
(Diana Ross?)
Fact or Fiction, you decide!
Another version of these events has also popped up, that another employee of the realtor office had had a photo taken of herself and when it finished its process was shocked by what she saw. The same day a strange woman, as described as looking like the 'witch' in the photo, was seen a little while before it was taken.
There have been reports of many strange happenings at Joshua Ward House, sounds, voices, objects having been moved and of course the 'witch' herself.
Was a 'witch' captured in this photo?
Or is it just one of the workers, the polaroid photo misprocessing or the fact the photo was taken in front of a wreath and forgotten?
Maybe its an outright hoax?
Or maybe something else entirely?
(Diana Ross?)
Fact or Fiction, you decide!
By Ashley Hall 2014
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