The Cumberland Spaceman

[Sid]

I've come to the conclusion that 'she' must be wearing a head scarf!

Looking at the little girl's hair, note that it is being wind-blown from her left hand side.
If her Mother was wearing a head scarf, of a type which is a see-through 'net mesh' fabric, and she is facing that direction, then it would billow-out with the wind, making it's appearance in the photograph round and helmet-like, with the brighter lit part of it reflecting of the top off of the headscarf making it appear even more helmet-like.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Another analysis of the photograph with a theory about the "helmet"

That is the best theory yet about what that odd photo actually is!
Who would have imagined that Templeton's wife could be standing in front of the moon, blurring her head into a helmet-like feature?
That man is a genius!

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

I've come to the conclusion that 'she' must be wearing a head scarf!

I too always thought that she had a small scarf on her head, but that moon theory is also possible.

 

[eburacum]

I'd go for scarf, too. The Moon would almost certainly be much smaller than that.

 

[charliebrown]

This picture has perplexed me for many years.

I personally think there is more to the story.

 

[eburacum]

Some people here in the 21st century might not realise what a 1960s headscarf might look like, or imagine something outlandish and psychedelic. Here are a few headscarves from the period; most headscarves would in fact be even more plain and unobtrusive.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Some people here in the 21st century might not realise what a 1960s headscarf might look like, or imagine something outlandish and psychedelic. Here are a few headscarves from the period; most headscarves would in fact be even more plain and unobtrusive.

I pictured petite Mrs. Templeton wearing a small white scarf tied like this one, and blowing in the breeze around her head on that windy day, creating blurring, and also having a strange effect in that photo:

 

[Frideswide]

This picture has perplexed me for many years.

I personally think there is more to the story.

please can you narrow down what is catching at you?

 

[charliebrown]

The figure behind the girl does not seem to be a figure of a female, particularly the head and arms.

This is what has perplexed me for years.

 

[Frideswide]

The figure behind the girl does not seem to be a figure of a female, particularly the head and arms.

This is what has perplexed me for years.

we come in all shapes and sizes...

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

The figure behind the girl does not seem to be a figure of a female, particularly the head and arms.

This is what has perplexed me for years.

I couldn't figure it out either, until I saw the brilliant work done by many on the internet, colorizing the woman and finally putting her into perspective for us.
(I know this has been posted here before, but seems to be the truth, couldn't get the large version uploaded)

https://imgur.com/Py7ZI9i

 

[catseye]

I pictured petite Mrs. Templeton wearing a small white scarf tied like this one, and blowing in the breeze around her head on that windy day, creating blurring, and also having a strange effect in that photo:

View attachment 68194

I was a child in the 60s and my mother wore a headscarf on practically every excursion outside the home. She used to perm her own hair and a scarf was necessary to keep everything in place if there was even the slightest breeze.

Nowadays it's not frowned on for even an older lady to wear a beanie hat, but in those days ladies of 'a certain class' wouldn't be seen dead in anything but a headscarf (and possibly a large flowery hat for 'events').

People nowadays don't realise the ubiquity of clothing back in the 60s. Like the cardigan, the headscarf was staple wear.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

I was a child in the 60s and my mother wore a headscarf on practically every excursion outside the home. She used to perm her own hair and a scarf was necessary to keep everything in place if there was even the slightest breeze.

Nowadays it's not frowned on for even an older lady to wear a beanie hat, but in those days ladies of 'a certain class' wouldn't be seen dead in anything but a headscarf (and possibly a large flowery hat for 'events').

People nowadays don't realise the ubiquity of clothing back in the 60s. Like the cardigan, the headscarf was staple wear.

My Mum and my Grandmother always had some type of fancy hat ware or a small scarf when I was young also, as you said. It just wasn't proper to be without. Along with a long scarf tucked around the neck inside their coat.
And of course in our little town, the older women still wear babushkas!

 

[MorningAngel]

My Mum and my Grandmother always had some type of fancy hat ware or a small scarf when I was young also, as you said. It just wasn't proper to be without. Along with a long scarf tucked around the neck inside their coat.
And of course in our little town, the older women still wear babushkas!

Just makes me think of Private Pike and the scarf his mum insisted on.

 

[Swifty]

A new(ish) video on this case. I haven't watched it yet ...

 

[Sharon Hill]

A new(ish) video on this case. I haven't watched it yet ...

That was fun! Interesting idea. (Spoilers: It's still Annie.)

 

[RaM]

What gets me is the angle the space man is standing that looks unnatural at best.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

What gets me is the angle the space man is standing that looks unnatural at best.

Yes, but if you look at the photo, she is standing on an upward incline, and the ground is sloped to the right.
That's why it looks strange, but she is actually standing normally.

 

[Sharon Hill]

What gets me is the angle the space man is standing that looks unnatural at best.

The video examines this.

 

[Min Bannister]

Yes, but if you look at the photo, she is standing on an upward incline, and the ground is sloped to the right.
That's why it looks strange, but she is actually standing normally.

Mr Templeton may also have been guilty of a common problem of not paying attention to the background* and tilting the camera slightly. If you tilt the photo so that the grassy horizon is er, horizontal the angles suddenly look a lot less odd.

* This is further indicated by the fact that Mrs Templeton is standing there and he didn't notice!

 

[Bigphoot2]

Mr Templeton may also have been guilty of a common problem of not paying attention to the background* and tilting the camera slightly. If you tilt the photo so that the grassy horizon is er, horizontal the angles suddenly look a lot less odd.

* This is further indicated by the fact that Mrs Templeton is standing there and he didn't notice!

And it's tilted down on the right hand side, where the shutter release is on the camera, something I've seen many times with people with a heavy trigger finger.

 

[RaM]

The child looks to be sitting quite normally the mother as a distinct lean,
I am not convinced, but likely wrong.
The mother is at more or less the right angle to the horizon so maybe the
child sitting oddly.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

The child looks to be sitting quite normally the mother as a distinct lean,
I am not convinced, but likely wrong.
The mother is at more or less the right angle to the horizon so maybe the
child sitting oddly.

In the famous photo, the mum has her right hand on her hip or lower back.
Maybe, after she had been kneeling on the grass as in the previous photo, she had a bit of backache when she stood up?

 

[Erinaceus]

Mr Templeton may also have been guilty of a common problem of not paying attention to the background* and tilting the camera slightly. If you tilt the photo so that the grassy horizon is er, horizontal the angles suddenly look a lot less odd.

Although there's an electronic level in the viewfinder of my camera I still manage to take tilted pictures. It was even easier back then.

 

[RaM]

If the camaras tilted and the mother is then vertical, the daughter is sitting at a strange angle.

 

[Sid]

In the famous photo, the mum has her right hand on her hip or lower back.
Maybe, after she had been kneeling on the grass as in the previous photo, she had a bit of backache when she stood up?

View attachment 68293

http://vintagenewsdaily.com/solway-...outing-capture-a-mysterious-spaceman-in-1964/
States that. . . [Annie Templeton was wearing a pale blue dress on the day in question, which was overexposed as white in the other photos; she also had dark bobbed hair]

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Here you go, once you see this you can't unsee it. And it becomes so obviously and simply Annie Templeton:

 

[RaM]

Don't doubt it's Annie Templeton:

 

[Sid]

Don't doubt it's Annie Templeton:

But remember, she cannot be standing on the Horizon (on the top of the hill) as depicted, with the orange horizontal line!
So, het feet position would have to be slightly lower than that shown in this view detail, which means she must have been fairly tallish, (as she was almost the same height as her Husband). Or, could she possibly have been standing on top of something that can't be seen in the photograph, so that she could get a better view of whatever she was observing? No reason why not!

I also think that she had her right hand just tucked inside a pocket.

Also notice that in the photograph which shows the two together, the horizon is actually not tilted down towards the right, but actually shows a slightly left dip on the horizon, whereas in the 'spaceman' photograph it definitely is tilted down towards the right, which accounts for the slant of her Mothers position!
The headscarf could also have been made of a clear type plastic rain head/hair protector?

 

[Paul_Exeter]

But remember, she cannot be standing on the Horizon (on the top of the hill) as depicted, with the orange horizontal line!
So, het feet position would have to be slightly lower than that shown in this view detail, which means she must have been fairly tallish, (as she was almost the same height as her Husband). Or, could she possibly have been standing on top of something that can't be seen in the photograph, so that she could get a better view of whatever she was observing? No reason why not!

I also think that she had her right hand just tucked inside a pocket.
View attachment 68301
Also notice that in the photograph which shows the two together, the horizon is actually not tilted down towards the right, but actually shows a slightly left dip on the horizon, whereas in the 'spaceman' photograph it definitely is tilted down towards the right, which accounts for the slant of her Mothers position!
The headscarf could also have been made of a clear type plastic rain head/hair protector?
View attachment 68302

True, but she has moved position relative to the cooling towers which are now on the right but on the left in the picture of her with mum .

I have always felt that mum looks small in that photo and not much bigger than her young daughter but might just be the angles. Has anyone got a similar-ish image of a mum and daughter crouching like this?