Anomalien.com reader Mark Robert Davey shares his ghost story.
I came across your blog whilst searching for blogs who may be interested in publishing my story about an encounter with a Venetian ghost. I hope you may be interested in my story which is 100% true.
I am a photographer and filmmaker and several years ago I was staying in Venice. It was late in the evening and I decided to take a night stroll with my partner. As we explored the now deserted streets in Venice we made our way to the Rialto Bridge.
Most people by now were in their hotels asleep apart from the odd couple walking and exploring Venice. Once on the other side of the Rialto Bridge I took a few photographs.
The perfect Venetian scene with steps in the foreground, leading up to the famous bridge and a moon appearing between the clouds.
Several weeks later I was developing the 35mm film in my darkroom and I notice a shape on one of the wet negatives which really caught my eye.
Holding the negative up to the light I could see a figure on the steps of the Rialto Bridge. A figure that was 100% not there when I took the photograph.
I quickly dried the negative and then proceeded to make a print in the darkroom. I shall never forget how my heart was beating when the image started to appear in the developer as it slowly came into view.
As clear as anything a large cloaked figure appeared to be slightly hovering over the first two steps of the Rialto Bridge.
I really tried to think if anyone had passed me that night and I had just not seen them. The more I thought about it and the more I looked at it I realized I photographed a ghost.
Having not done anything with it for a few years I decided to make it into a short film which I have called ‘Negative29a’. (The film is available to watch on Youtube)
Mark Robert Davey
Hi Max D, Many thanks for your comment which I have only just seen! I am working on a new film which will show me working with the actual 35mm negative that the figure appeared on. The anomaly in the top middle was a partial moon appearing from behind clouds.
All I can say is that when I took the photograph the figure was 100% not in the shot when I took it. I was shooting the Rialto Bridge and took around 20 shots and the figure appeared on just one.
I appreciate you commenting!
Regards,
Mark
Very interesting. I assume the figures on the right were statues? Looks as if she is floating up those stairs. Very neat.
Hi Mike, whilst doing some research I found this article that featured my photograph last year. I was interested to see a few comments so I thought I would respond!
Yes, the figures on the right were statues and I totally agree with you that she, or I think ‘he’ is most certainly floating above the steps as the figure is leaning forward.
I believe from my research and in particular, the outfit worn that the figure could be Giordano Bruno who was interestingly an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist as there is a statue in Rome that looks identical to what I photographed! Reagards Mark
I loved the Venetian ghost story, im normally sceptical about these stories, but im drawn to this one. Even though he’s a photographer, & can easily fake any picture, i think this is real! But thats just my opinion…
Hi Gary, I have just seen the comment that you left on a photograph I took and was published on this site last year. Thanks for commenting!
So true what you said, as a photographer, I could have faked the image but I swear to you that figure was not there when I took the photo. I only noticed it when I processed the 35mm film in the darkroom. It’s a story I would love to come back to and work on but Covid19 restrictions at the moment prevent this.
Interestingly I think from my research I believe the figure could be the ghost of Giordano Bruno. If you google his name there is a statue in Rome that I have to say gave me shivers when I saw it as it is very much like the figure I photographed in Venice. Kind regards, Mark
As it is an actual film image, I would like to see the negative as well. The black mass is interesting, another anomaly is the light source at the top middle. I am fairly certain it is not what it appears to be.