This famous photograph was taken in 1966, by Rev. Ralph Hardy, retired clergy from British Columbia. His intention was to simply photograph the spiral staircase in the Queen’s House area of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. However, when he got the photo developed, he was surprised to see a shrouded figure climbing the stairs, both hands ahold of the railing. The photo was taken around 5:30 PM, with Rev. Hardy’s wife standing beside him. She confirmed that there was no one on the stairs when they took the photo. In fact, the Tulip Staircase itself was closed with a rope and a sign stating, “No Admittance.”

Hardy admitted that he had heard about the rumors of the house being haunted. Spectral apparitions and unexplained footsteps are always being reported near the staircase by both visitors as well as staff. There have been sightings of a ghostly woman seen wiping down the bottom of the stairway. She is believed to be the ghost of a maid who fell over the banister and died at the foot of the stairs hundreds of years ago. Experts from all over, including Kodak, have examined the photo and the original negative. They concluded that the photo had not been doctored. It remains unexplained.