UFO 1960-70
1960 - Cordoba, Argentina
The Cordoba/Yacanto photograph.
Enlargement of the photograph. Near the center of the image can be seen a horse whose head is turned around, its attention apparently drawn by the object.
THE YACANTO PHOTOGRAPH
By Dr. Willy Smith
UFOTYPE: CE 1
DATE: July 3, 1960
TIME: 4:30 PM
DURATION: 40 sec.
WITNESSES: 1
PLACE: Yacanto, Cordoba, Argentina.
(a) INTRODUCTION.
This sighting is one of the best recorded in Argentina, but it is practically unknown to English-speaking ufologists as it has been published in Spanish magazines only. Perhaps for that very reason it has escaped the attention of the professional debunkers, but a more likely cause is that it is an extraordinary case for which their usual hand-waving techniques simply would not work.
It is a single-witness case, but this witness is a high-ranking officer of the Argentinean Air Force (AAF), who by a fluke was able to obtain a remarkable photograph as supporting evidence of his encounter.
Even in Argentina, and perhaps due to the association of the witness with the AAF, the case was not given much publicity until 1977, when it finally was reported in UFO PRESS (ref. 1).
(b) THE WITNESS.
The witness in this sighting is Hugo F. Niotti, then a captain of the AAF assigned to the Air Force School for Sub-officers located in the city of Cordoba. Contrary to what many would expect, his involvement in the case did not affect his military career, and seventeen years later, when finally interviewed by Roncoroni, he had risen to the high rank of vice-commodore, occupying a responsible position with the AAF.
(c) THE INCIDENT.
On July 3, 1960, then Captain Niotti was driving from Yacanto toward Cordoba. The weather was inclement, typical of what one would expect for that area in the middle of winter. It was drizzling off and on, and the cloud deck was very low, perhaps 100-150 m.. The road was rather slippery, and Capt. Niotti was concentrating hard on his driving.
At approximately 4:30 PM, he was in the area of Villa General Belgrano, about 70 Km from the city of Cordoba. He had finished negotiating a wide S-curve, when he suddenly noticed a rather close and unusual object hovering near the ground to the right of the road.
Startled, he stopped the car, grabbed his camera, fortunately next to him on the seat, moved a few steps away, and proceeded to take a photo of the object, which was moving slowly. While he was engaged in winding the film to take a second shot, the object started to accelerate and disappeared into the clouds, which as stated, were very low.
The whole incident had lasted about 40 seconds and had developed into the most absolute silence. This eerie silence, coupled with the bad weather and the abruptness of the incident, gave Capt. Niotti a sense of irreality, which puzzled and confused him. In this mood, he jumped back into his car and continued his trip to Cordoba, where he proceeded to have the film processed.
Here is Capt. Niotti’s description of what he had seen. The object was conical in shape, with a height of 7-8 meters and a base diameter of 3-4 meters, with its axis almost parallel to the ground and its base facing the witness. It was at a distance of 80 to 100 meters from his location and moving very slowly toward the south, perhaps at 10 KPH, always parallel to the ground. It was rotating, also very slowly. It then accelerated very rapidly, attaining a speed of perhaps 200 KPH in 3 or 4 seconds, and disappeared into the low cloud bank. This sudden acceleration without any sound was inexplicable to the witness in view of his proximity.
The color of the object was a uniform dark gray. The surface was perfectly smooth without joints or rivets and had a definite metallic aspect.
(d) THE PHOTOGRAPH.
As an officer of the AAF, Niotti was naturally reclutant to divulge his experience and initially told only a few fellow officers, who persuaded him to send the negatives and copies to the “Revista Nacional de Aeronautica” (RNA); the editors of this official magazine transmitted the photo to the “Servicio de Informaciones de Aeronautica” (SIA), a technical service available to the Air force.
The SIA gave a good bill of health to the photo, and the sighting was reported by the RNA in its issue of November, 1960. It is remarkable that never before or after have the Armed Forces made public the results of a UFO investigation.
In the years to follow, many examinations of this photo have been done except, perhaps, by the so-called debunkers, and no negative options have been voiced.
There are two interesting details in the photo which must be emphasized. When Capt. Niotti saw the object, his perception was of a uniform color; thus, he was surprised --after developing the film--- that in the photographic image the base of the cone is a dull black, without any gradation of color in spite of being oriented toward the sun, which was hidden by the clouds. The rest of the cone appears much lighter, to the point that it is sometimes difficult to obtain copies showing it clearly, due to the high contrast between the base and the sky background. The edges of the base, in the original negative, appear sharp and well-defined, even more defined that other elements appearing in the photograph. It seems as if the base of the cone were a total sink of radiation, reflecting no light.
The copy of the photo presented in this report is from a second-generation negative, and its quality does not compare with the prints made from the original negative.
The other anomalous detail in the photo is the presence of a horse whose head is turned around, its attention apparently drawn by the object. As anyone familiar with a rural environment knows, horses kept in pastures near roads become totally indifferent to traffic and will not interrupt their grazing for the presence of a car. Nevertheless, the horse seems to be looking directly at the object, placed halfway between him and the road.
The existence of the horse is fortunate, as it has allowed some estimates of sizes and distances. The Argentinean investigators have performed some photogrammetry using the original negative, and report that the horse is about 80 meters from the road, which places the object at no more than 50 meters from Capt. Niotti. No wonder he was surprised by the absolute silence!.
On the basis of these estimates, the dimensions of the cone were 7 m. in height and 6 m. in diameter, and it was 17 meters above the ground, in good agreement with the numbers indicated by Capt. Niotti.
But the most interesting detail, which I have reserved for the end, is that Capt. Niotti was extremely surprised when he inspected the copies of the photo and saw the horse, as he had not noticed its presence during the incident. This is a clear indication of his concentration while taking the photo, and his disorientation after the sudden departure of the object when he just jumped back into his car and continued his trip.
(e) COMMENTS.
A case with a single witness usually is not even considered for incorporation into UNICAT, but in this instance we have two circumstances that allow an exception to the rule.
First, we have a competent witness, trained by his profession to observe details, who did not lose his presence of mind when confronted with the unknown. On the contrary, he reacted promptly, snatching his camera and jumping out of his car to obtain a unique graphic document.
And second, the photograph by itself lends enough credibility to the case to make it deserve serious consideration. Not only has the photo repeatedly been shown to be genuine, but it is inconceivable that the Air Force officer would compromise his career with a fabrication that would bring him nothing but problems and discredit. For those who know Vice-commodore Niotti, this option is unthinkable.
From the UNICAT viewpoint, the case also offers some interesting characteristics which confirm its value. Among the many parameters searched for when studying the case, there are two that are considered as particularly significant because of their high statistical incidence. Both of them apply to this sighting:
DR: driving a vehicle
LR: lonely road or place
The first of these parameters appears in the UNICAT data base with a frequency of 33.8%, while LR shows a frequency of 37.9%, both of them being included within the ten most frequent parameters.
A third parameter that is not so frequent, but that seems to occur in significant cases, is also found for this incident. It is the RC parameter, i.e., “rounding a curve”. It indicates that the witness suddenly notices the phenomenon when coming out of a curve in the road.
REFERENCES:
1. Roncoroni, G.; FOTO DE ONVI AVALADA POR LA FUERZA AEREA ARGENTINA, in UFO PRESS #3, April 1977.
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OTHER SOURCES & ARTICLES: Oscar Galindez, "Unusual Photographs from Argentina," in Flying Saucer Review vol. 13 no. 1 (Jan/Feb 1967)
September 26, 1960 - Italy
A trio of UFOs photographed in Italy in 1960. The skeptic's doubts are immediately raised by the extraordinary blackness of the images compared to the bleached-out background, which suggests the images are pasted onto a window or a print before re-photographing. UFO believers counter this objection by saying the contrast may be caused by magnetic, gravitational or microwave emissions from the alien craft.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
[The source of this photo is not reliable]
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. 1961
Gene Hurley
"...Gene past away some time ago, but his memory is still with us strong. He claimed to know these men. They are not men of God, he told us, but they are not men of evil. They're from Pledian. Somewhere nicer than this." D.H.
March 11, 1961 - Japan
Object was snapped by a young Japanese who happened to have his camera ready on March 11, 1961.
February 12, 1962 - Milan, Italy
1963 - Northcliff, South Africa
From South Africa's UFO Resource:
"Following is the description on the photograph above, from our source. We are patiently waiting 4 the photographer 2 make contact with our source's mother, so that we may establish the location. Click on the thumbnail 4 the larger image (1126 x 1163 pixels, 28kb, compressed).
The photo was taken in South Africa. The person was an estate agent in 1963 (now 80jrs old) and took some photos of the houses she had for sale to be published in the news paper. It was a black and white small photo and she saw this mysterious "mark" on it but couldn't make it out but kept it anyway. She stayed in the same retirement village as my Mom and showed her the photo. My Mom immediately recognized the possibility that it could be an unidentified flying object and asked if she could borrow it to show me. Well, thanks to today's technology, I scanned it in and zoomed up and walla!
Additional info received on Sunday 5 October 2003
About the UFO photo, it was taken in the Nothcliff area also called "Eagles Nest" near El Corro JHB, not far from the Cresta Shopping Center, Blackheath/Randburg."
1964 - United States
Unique family heirloom
This entry has few details except an unknown location in the US, a date of June 10, 1964 and: "I did not take this pic. It was discovered by my sister in an old family bible. It was taken by her husband's father but he had no more info than that." The image is exactly as we received it, same size and all, with no modifications whatsoever. Based on the size and shape of the paper, this appears to be consistent with an old photo, complete with wrinkles, water stains, and what looks like a cigarette burn. I posted this image on an online UFO club and garnered several responses, including:
"I must agree the photo looks to be genuine.. I wonder if anyone has thought of submitting the photo for analysis to Mufon or CUFO's...The ship in the photo bears a great deal of resemblance to the so called Beam Ships photographed by Billy Mier.. I can think of no reason someone would go to so much trouble as to fake a photograph then hide it in a family bible for years.. Especially back in the days when faking a photo like this was a real technical achievement, requiring the talents of a model builder and a highly skilled [amateur] or professional photographer.. Just possibly this is one of the better photos to be taken of a real UFO.. Will be interested to see any follow ups.. "
- JERRY (64/M/ROSEBURG, OREGON)
August 3, 1965 - Santa Ana, California, USA
Rex Heflin, an Orange County highway inspector, was at work in a county vehicle at 12:37 P.M when he saw a hat-shaped (disc with dome) object hovering above the road. He grabbed his Polaroid camera normally used to record highway obstructions or other problems and took three photographs of the metallic-appearing object and a fourth of a black "smoke ring" left behind by the object after it departed at high speed. He reported seeing a rotating band of light on the underside of the object (like the sweep of a radar beam).
Heflin twice tried to radio his base, during the sighting, but the radio would not work. (It functioned normally after the object departed.) One of the photographs was published by the Santa Ana Register on September 20, 1965; then the story was picked up by the national newswire services.
The Los Angeles Subcommittee of NICAP, headed by Idabel Epperson, conducted a thorough investigation of the case, including a detailed character and background check, on-site investigation and measurements (by engineer John Gray), and photoanalysis. Both Heflin and the newspaper cooperated fully in the investigation.
Computer enhancement and photoanalysis was conducted by Robert Nathan at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working with first-generation prints and copy negatives made by the newspaper. Among other things, the analysis established photographic evidence to confirm the "light beam" on the underside of the object. The Air Force issued a statement declaring the photographs a hoax, which was strongly disputed by NICAP. Nathan specifically ruled out a model suspended by a string as the explanation.
Unknown parties later attempted to tamper with the evidence and manipulate information. The copy negatives were obtained from Heflin under false pretenses, by someone pretending to be from the North American Air Defense Command. (Click here for copy of letter from Lt. Gen. Wheless). Years later, Bill Spaulding of Ground Saucer Watch using computer enhancement techniques reported finding a linelike marking above the object, suggestive of a supporting string, implying that the UFO was hoaxed by using a small model. However, the alleged "line" clearly was either an artifact created by multigenerational copying of the photographs or a deliberately introduced marking to discredit Heflin. No such line was found in the originals by Nathan, the newspaper, or NICAP analysts.
In 1993, MUFON photoanalyst Jeffrey Sainio re-examined Spaulding's work and rejected the string hypothesis.
Technical data: Polaroid Model 101,114 mm focal length, variable aperture, built-in light meter, automatic settings; Type 107 black & white film, ASA 3000.
Conclusion: "A highly credible, thoroughly investigated case that meets all the criteria for significant evidence of a real, structured, craftlike UFO." (Richard Hall in The UFO Evidence, Volume II)
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More information:
At noon on August 3, 1965 highway traffic engineer Rex Heflin was driving near the Santa Ana freeway when he saw a UFO. He stopped and snapped three Polaroid shots of it. He reckoned it was 750ft (225m) away, at an altitude of 150ft (45m), and 30ft (9m) in diameter. Although Heflin did not report the sighting, on 20 September the Santa Ana Register published the photos.
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UFOs at Close Sight (Patrick Gross):
This is a highly interesting and controversial case. The original photos have been lost or confiscated and all subsequent analyses have had to work from copies. While it is possible for the photos to have been hoaxed, there has never been any definite proof that they were, and Heflin has continued to maintain their truth. Furthermore, these photos were taken in the midst of one of the largest flaps in US history. They are a highly credible, thoroughly investigated case that meets all the criteria for significant evidence of a real, structured, craftlike UFO, said NICAP investigator Richard Hall in "The UFO Evidence, Volume II".
THE HEFLIN CASE, SANTA ANA, 1965:
The photos were examined by UPI (United Press International) photographic specialists, who also took test photos with the same equipment. They pronounced the photos genuine.
REPORT SUMMARY:
"Rex Heflin is a Highway Accident Investigator for the Los Angeles County Highway Commission... he carried a Polaroid camera...[which] contained film rated at 3000 ASA... [On] Myford Road near Santa Ana... he spotted an unusual object approaching the road. He stopped the truck, grabbed the camera off the seat beside him and made three pictures as rapidly as possible... As the object moved away, Heflin... scrambled out of the truck and took his fourth and final picture... Heflin tried to contact his office by radio while the UFO was near [his vehicle], [but] the radio refused to operate." The radio operated correctly again after the object's departure. Heflin had a Polaroid camera because he normally used it to record highway obstructions or other problems.
Heflin was reportedly approached by a man who claimed to be from NORAD, to whom he gave the original Polaroids. Both NORAD and the Air Force denied having the photos.
NICAP investigators, including scientific advisors, also believed the photos were genuine. They claimed that frame 1 shows a swirl of material below the object, rising about a foot in the air.
The evening before, photos had been taken in Tulsa OK, Sherman TX, and then five days later in Beaver Falls, PA two more were taken. None of the photographed objects, however, bore any resemblance to each other.
INVESTIGATIONS SUMMARY:
NICAP:
The Los Angeles Subcommittee of NICAP, headed by Idabel Epperson, conducted a thorough investigation of the case, including a detailed character and background check, on-site investigation and measurements (by engineer John Gray), and photo analysis. Both Heflin and the newspaper cooperated fully in the investigation.
Richard Hall:
"Computer enhancement and other analysis was conducted by Robert Nathan at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working with first-generation prints and copy negatives made by the newspaper. Among other things, the analysis established photographic evidence to confirm the (reported) "light beam" on the underside of the object. The Air Force issued a statement declaring the photographs a hoax, which was strongly disputed by NICAP."
Francis Ridge:
"Heflin said that he had turned over three of the four originals to a man (or two men, the stories differ) who claimed that he represented the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). NORAD denied that they had ever sent out an investigator or indeed that they had the slightest interest in the photos."
Bill Spaulding:
Unknown parties attempted to tamper with the evidence and manipulate information. The copy negatives were obtained from Heflin under false pretences, by someone pretending to be from the North American Air Defense Command. Years later, Bill Spaulding of Ground Saucer Watch using computer enhancement techniques reported finding a linelike marking above the object, suggestive of a supporting string, implying that the UFO was hoaxed by using a small model.
Jeffrey Sainio:
In 1993, MUFON photoanalyst Jeffrey Sainio reexamined Spaulding's work and rejected the string hypothesis: the alleged "line" clearly was either an artefact created by multigenerational copying of the photographs or a deliberately introduced marking to discredit Heflin. No such line was found in the originals by Nathan, the newspaper, or NICAP analysts.
Summer, 1965 - Adelaide, Australia
Until 1965, 1952 had been th biggest year for UFO sightings. Then came what one writer has called "the busy saucer summer of 1965." In August alone, Project Blue Book received 262 reports - more than any single month since November 1957. Nor was the summer flap confined to the U.S. UFOs were reported in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Europe, Antarctica, and Australia. This object was photographed over Adelaide, Australia in early summer. It was seen to hover for 20 minutes, then it shot off to the east.
July 17, 1965 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Two unidentified flying objects (white discs are seen in the night sky over Buenos Aires in this unretouched photograph. The objects reportedly remained stationary for about ten minutes and then "flew away at great speed. Photo was taken with an exposure of one minute.
August 2, 1965 - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Alan R. Smith, aged 14, took this photograph at about 1:45 a.m. on 2 August 1965 from his back yard in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Five other witnesses saw the UFO change color from white to red to blue-green. The USAF Photo Analysis Division analysed the picture for Project Blue Book and agreed it was a material object, less than a mile (1.6km) from the camera, and about 30ft (10m) in diameter. They also observed that it resembled the effect "obtained by photographing a multi-colored revolving filter flood light." But after computer analysis in 1977 Ground Saucer Watch declared that the picture "represents an extraordinary flying craft of large dimension."
November 9, 1965 - Manhattan, New York, USA
UFO above a building in Manhattan, photographed on November 9, 1965, during the big blackout.
March, 1966 - Wall Township, New Jersey, USA
Original caption for this photograph:
3/1966 - Wall Township, NJ - Robert J. Salvo, a 13 year old boy, walking his dog purports to have taken a photo of a flying saucer. The youth showed this photograph to the Army. No comment was made from the military.
Summer, 1966 - Zurich, SwitzerlandKloten Airport
Summer 1966
Zurich, SwitzerlandKloten Airport
In the summer of 1966, a flight security official photographed two red spheres over the Swiss airport Zurich-Kloten. The photo was later released by SWISSAIR-pilot Ferdinand Schmid.
January, 1966 - Seattle, Washington, USA
UFOs at Close Sight (Patrick Gross)
Project Blue Book Files
SEATTLE, JANUARY 1966:
Project Blue Book team almost got its wish for "swimming UFO's" when this photo turned up. Taken by Jerry Ross ("I'm not a believer in flying saucers." he stressed) in Seattle in January, 1966, the photo baffled all the experts.
November 13, 1966 - Zanesville, Ohio, USA
Photographed by barber Ralph Ditter at his house in Roseville, a suburb of Zanesville, Ohio, in 1966. For years, Ditter exhibited this and another UFO picture taken at the same time in his barber shop. The Condon Committee examined both exhaustively, and concluded they were faked. Ditter failed to respond to requests for "clarification" of the differences between his account of the sighting and the apparent facts.
August 2, 1966 - New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA
This shot of an unidentified flying object over the Lawrence County Farm show grounds, is similar to descriptions of a UFO sighted over Presque Isle Peninsula near Erie, Pa. The photographer was photographing the milk can when he claims the object appeared in his photo.
March 24, 1966 - Dexter, Michigan, USA
The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite presented this broadcast of an exclusive picture of a suspected unidentified flying object, which was taken by a police official on the farm of Frank Mannor in Dexter.
December 18, 1966 - Lake Tiorati, New York
The west side of the Hudson River, three fishermen noticed an unusual circular metallic flying object. One of the men grabbed a box camera and managed to snap four pictures before it flew away over Stockbridge Mountain.
April 2, 1966 - Balwyn, Melbourne, Australia
Known in Australia as the Balwyn UFO, this curious bell-shaped object was photographed by a businessman from his garden in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn. The UFO was sighted on April 2, 1966 and the picture was taken a few minuts after two o'clock in the afternoon with a Polaroid camera. The case was meticulously documented by the Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society (VFSRS) of Moorabbin, with sketches of camera angles, distances, sun azimuths, and notations on light reflections from the UFO. Much was made of the chimney in the photo as a reference point to calculate distances and elevations. The Society noted that the photo showed "no sign of multiple exposure, montage, or any other tampering."
July 3, 1967 - Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA
At 7:15pm on July 3 Joseph L. Ferriere went to east Woonsocket to investigate reports of a strange object flying around in the area, he spotted a large cigar-shaped object hovering in the sky. After taking four pictures of the object he noticed a smaller disc-shaped object coming out from the larger object and took a picture of the disc-shaped object also.
June 10, 1967 - Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA
March 12, 1967 - Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
(Picaco Park) Las Cruces, New Mexico- A New Mexico State University student took this photo of what he says is a UFO, while photographing land formations for a geology class. The picture was taken with a 4x5 press camera at F8 at 1/100/second. He said the object made no noise and disappeared as he looked down to change plates in the camera.
Another description from "Xenophilia.com" website:
About 2:00pm on March 12th, 1967, A New Mexico State University student was hiking in a desert area near Picacho Peak, New Mexico, when he spotted a big round silvery object hovering in the air just above a rocky hill about 500 yards away. He prepared his 4" X 5" Press Camera, set it at F8 and 1/100 shutter speed, and snapped one good black and white picture of the object. It appeared stationary or was moving very little at the time of the photograph. He looked down to change the plates of his camera, needing only 3 seconds, but when he looked back to take another shot, the object was gone. He recalled smelling an electrical odor in the air too!
March 1967 - Huaylas Valley, near Yungay, Peru
One of a series of photos taken in the Huaylas Valley, near Yungay, Peru, by Augusto Arrando, on a hiking expedition in the mountains some 10,000ft (3050m) above sea level. J. Richard Greenwell made strenuous attempts to locate Arrando, but failed to meet the man in person. Hope of authenticating the photos probably vanished forever when Yungay and most of its 20,000 inhabitants were buried by a gigantic avalanche in May 1970.
February 6, 1967 - Zanesville, Ohio, USA
(Possible hoax photo)
Zanesville barber Ralph Ditter made available to news media two photographs that he had taken of what he described as a flying saucer. An amateur astronomer, Ditter took the photographs November 13, 1966 with a Polaroid camera using an exposure of 1/125th of a sec. at f16.
January 1, 1967 - Mahwah, New Jersey
At 1:00 pm in January 1967, Mr. James Bjornstad, a Research Consultant at the Christian Research Institute in Wayne, New Jersey, was driving in the vicinity of the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Mahwah when his attention was attracted to something flying in the sky. Through the trees along the street he could see a dull dark gray object sitting almost motionless in the sky beyond. Stopping the car in front of the Seminary, Bjornstad got out with his Japanese brand 35mm hand camera loaded with outdoor color film, and walked through to a better vantage point, then adjusted the distance setting to infinity and snapped a picture of the strange flying machine. (credit: UFO + PSI Magazine / Christian Pfeiler)
January 9, 1967 - Lake St. Clair, Michigan, USA
One of the several photographs taken by the Jaroslaw brothers over Lake St. Clair, Michigan, 1967.
Another photograph in the series taken by the Jarowslaw brothers. (credit: UFO*BC)
Dan Jaroslaw (left) and his brother, Grant. (source: TRUE Flying Saucers and UFO Quarterly, 1967)
SUMMARY:
On January 9, 1967, two teen-age brothers, Dan and Grant Jaroslaw, made some photos of a domed object with an apparent tower on one side over Lake St. Clair, Michigan. They photographed it from the backyard of their Mt. Clemens home, about a mile from Selfridge Air Force Base. The object was moving slowly at a very low altitude - proably too low to be picked up on radar at the Base. It remained in view about 10 minutes -- ample time for the boys to take their pictures with a small Polaroid. When they released them to a wire service, the Air Force requested the originals for analysis. Evidently the brothers were wary of lending out their original prints, for they kept them under lock and key in a bank -- but they did give the UFO officer at Selfridge a set of copies. This officer was quoted as saying they were "the best I've ever seen." Nevertheless Blue Book, seizing on the fact that they'd been denied the originals, slapped an "insufficient data" tag on the case. Dr. Hynek, however, was impressed with the photos and thought the chance of a hoax having been perpretrated was "unlikely."
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ARTICLE DISCUSSING POSSIBLE HOAX/FAKE:
"The Mount Clemens Photos - A Likely Fake?" by Mark Cashman.
https://www.temporaldoorway.com/ufo/analysis/mountclemens/index.htm
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ARTICLE FROM 1967 in TRUE MAGAZINE:
"Capturing UFOs on Film", TRUE Flying Saucers and UFO Quarterly page 8, Vol 1., Spring 1967
(excerpt)
Monday, January 9th, was a cold wintry day on the shores of Lake St. Clair about 15 miles due north of Detroit, but the weather didn't keep 17-year-old Daniel Jaroslaw and his 15-year-old brother, Grant, from having some outdoor fun with their Polaroid camera. True, it was cold enough to numb their fingers a bit, but they still could click the lens shutter as they stood in the backyard of their Harrison Township home, looking for something to photograph. And little did they realize they were about to make a sensational picture record of what appeared to be the best, and clearest, UFO sighting of the New Year.
The time was about 2:30 P.M., when Dan looked out across the ice-clogged lake and suddenly saw something that caused him to grab his brother's arm.
"Look !" he fairly shouted, pointing to a dark object in the sky about a quarter of a mile offshore. There, hovering over the ice but near open water, was a hamburger-shaped aerial craft with an "antenna" clearly visible on its tail. From that distance, the object seemed to be about the size of a helicopter, but Dan and Grant had no way or determining its exact measurements.
Quickly, they brought their camera into action and made four pictures in rapid succession, pulling out the prints and examining them as they shot the photos, one by one. The UFO proved to be an obliging camera subject and continued to hover over the icy lake for a full ten minutes before speeding off to disappear in the southeast without making a sound.
Then, a new object came on the scene to hover above the same spot, but this was clearly identifiable. It was a helicopter on a training mission from nearby Selfridge Air Force Base. The two brothers made a picture of the copter, too, but it bore no resemblance to the strange craft recorded on the other four prints.
The following day, the Detroit News published a picture of the UFO along with the story of how the Jaroslaw brothers happened to have their camera in the right place at the right time. The photo immediately came under intensive investigation by officials of Project Blue Book, the Air Force's highly active UFO study unit. And they had to admit that the Jaroslaw brothers had snapped one of the most realistic UFO pictures on record.
Although the radarscope at Selfridge Air Force Base, only a mile from the scene, had picked up nothing unusual, and the helicopter pilot said he had seen nothing hovering in the area, the Jaroslaw prints were called "pictures of a believable UFO." Among the first to comment was Dr. J. Allen Hynek, chairman of Northwestern University's Astronomy Department, who for years has been consultant to the-Air Force on UFOs. After viewing the pictures, the bearded, bespectacled Dr. Hynek made several important points at a news conference in Detroit.
"The striking thing to me is the similarity these pictures have to other photos t have seen. Also to the verbal descriptions taken from ostensibly reliable people. To the best of my recollection, even the antenna shown on the tail has been previously reported. Being a Polaroid print offers less chance for darkroom chicanery. Adding to the credibility is the, fact that a series of pictures were taken, rather than just one shot."
Dr. Hynek went on to say that "in all honesty, at this moment, I have no knowledge of whether the pictures are authentic, but I cannot call them a hoax. Most of the pictures we get require just one look to say they are a hoax, but this case is a little different. If it's a hoax, it will be a little more difficult to establish."
An assistant to Dr. Hynek at Northwestern University, Dr. William T. Powers, said that "right now we can't even say how big the Thing was. It may have been anything from three inches to five feet wide that was on front of the Jaroslaw brothers' camera." Dr. Powers explained that the opaqueness or resistance to light in various parts of the negatives, and the relation to various sites in the background, would have to be examined.
(credit: Michigan MUFON)
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A PRESS REPORT FROM 1967:
"UFO Pictures Look Factual," The Edmonton Journal, January 17, 1967
DETROIT (AP) - A leading expert on unidentified flying objects said Monday that photographs of a “flying saucer” taken near here last week are apparently authentic.
Dr. J. Allen Hynek, chairman of the astronomy department at Northwestern University, also said the pictures are strikingly similar to other pictures of UFOs he has investigated.
Dr. Hynek, a scientific adviser to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, which co-ordinates all UFO reports for the military, commented in an interview with the Detroit News.
Dr. Hynek had examined negatives copied by The News from the original prints taken last week near the Detroit suburb of Mount Clemens.
“Analysis so far does not show any indication of an obvious hoax,” he said.
“To the best of my recollection even the ‘antenna’ shown on the back has been previously reported, as has the tail structure,” he said.
The pictures were taken around 2:30 p.m. January 9 by two Harrison Township youths, Grant Jaroslaw, 15, and his brother, Dan, 17.
The youths said the object hovered over Lake St. Clair behind their home before speeding off to the southeast.
The boys’ mother, Betty Jaroslaw so far has refused to let the U.S. Air Force or other experts examine the original prints.
January 13, 1967 - Westover AFB, Chicopee, Massachusetts, USA
Two UFOs above Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Photograph: W. Varner, USAF.
January 25, 1967 - Hampton, Virginia, USA
Photo above was taken on January 25, 1967 at Hampton, Virginia by a teen-ager, who said the object was about the size of a Piper Cub at 1000 feet. The boy described the sighting to his school science teacher, who recommended he report it to the Air Force. He did so and the local UFO officer was impressed, stating, "in my opinion the photo is authentic." Yet Blue Book tagged it "insufficient data."
March 11, 1967 - Torrance, California, USA
The time was early on a Saturday night, March 11, 1967. The place was Torrance, California. "Our gang" -- Allen, Bobby, Rick and Danny -- were out for a little fun when they happened to see a strange object that "glowed reddish-white" in the sky. One of the boys had a camera with him and snapped 8 photos of it.
March 17, 1967 - Lexington, Missouri, USA
The month of March 1967 produced a particularly heavy "concentration" of UFO sightings across the midsection of the U.S. From Montana to Maryland, hundreds of witnesses in scores of communities saw peculiar happenings in the skies. On March 17, an unknown photographer in Lexington, Missouri took two shots of a UFO hovering over a house.
March, 1967 - Yungay, Peru
Two identical UFOs approach together over shoulder of Mt. Huascaran. The two machines separated and one circled out over the valley beyond. Photo #3 shows an enlargement of the profile shot of the 1967 Yungay, Peru UFO as it circled back beyond a tree and climbed up and joined the second one above shortly before departing.
March 10, 1967 - Junauska, North Carolina, USA
Object was photographed on March 10, 1967 at Junauska, North Carolina. Blue Book listed it as a "hoax."
April 5, 1967 - Old Bridge, New Jersey, USA
A UFO photographed over Old Bridge, New Jersey on April 5, 1967, which the Air Froce gave an "insufficient data" rating.
June 27, 1967 - Wichita, Kansas, USA
On June 27, 1967, during the 1967 UFO wave, Mr. Jefferson Villar of Union City succeeded in photographing the bright silver-colored, capsule-shaped object that passed over his head. It was brilliantly reflecting the sun's rays like metal and was making a strange noise as it flew along. Villar managed to get his camera into action and snapped six good color photographs of the clearly defined cylindrical structure with rounded ends. It looked to be solid and real as it passed at low altitude above a house and telephone wires. Villar estimated the object to be flying at between 1,500 and 2,000 feet above the surface at that point.
June 15, 1967 - Landers, California, USA
A picture of a "UFO" taken by Richard Sandberg over a small observatory at Landers, California on June 14, 1967.
July 3, 1967 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A daylight disk photographed by Warren Smith on 3 July 1967. Smith and two companions were in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, southwest of Calgary, Alberta, returning from a weekend prospecting trip. J. Allen Hynek and the Royal Canadian Air Force Defense Photographic Interpretation Center considered the picture genuine.
Further information (Knight):
Of the 35 photographic cases examined by the Condon Committee (pp.168-9), only two were judged to be "first priority" -- having potential value in establishing the existence of "flying saucers." One was the so-called Calgary case with its two photos. Dr. Hynek, who subjected the original negatives to exhaustive lab tests, called the first photo the "best Daylight Disc photograph I have personally investigated." Fifty miles southwest of his home in Calgary, Alberta, Warren Smith and two friends were returning from a weekend prospecting trip through rugged "bush" country on July 3, 1967. At about 5:30 PM the youngest of the group pointed to what at first all thought was an airplane. It was some two miles away at about 2000 feet -- but losing altitude fast, as if headed for a crash. As it traveled toward them, they noticed it had no wings. "...It passed slightly out of view behind some trees, " went Smith's deposition, to which he swore under the Canada Evidence Act, "...then reappeared and hovered in the open sky, and something of a much smaller size fell from the craft." In the 25 seconds the object was in view, Smith remember the loaded camea in his pack. "I ... took two pictures of this strange craft and swear... no other humans were in that area" and "no camera tricker" was involved, he stated. The object was described as circular, shiny, and about 25 feet wide. Hynek, who flew over the site with Smith, found no evidence of a hoax in his investigation.
July 7, 1967 - San Luis Obispo, California, USA
Photo snapped over San Luis Obispo, California, on July 7, 1967.
July 3, 1967 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A daylight disk photographed by Warren Smith on 3 July 1967. Smith and two companions were in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, southwest of Calgary, Alberta, returning from a weekend prospecting trip. J. Allen Hynek and the Royal Canadian Air Force Defense Photographic Interpretation Center considered the picture genuine.
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Knight:
Of the 35 photographic cases examined by the Condon Committee (pp.168-9), only two were judged to be "first priority" -- having potential value in establishing the existence of "flying saucers." One was the so-called Calgary case with its two photos. Dr. Hynek, who subjected the original negatives to exhaustive lab tests, called the first photo (above) the "best Daylight Disc photograph I have personally investigated." Fifty miles southwest of his home in Calgary, Alberta, Warren Smith and two friends were returning from a weekend prospecting trip through rugged "bush" country on July 3, 1967. At about 5:30 PM the youngest of the group pointed to what at first all thought was an airplane. It was some two miles away at about 2000 feet -- but losing altitude fast, as if headed for a crash. As it traveled toward them, they noticed it had no wings. "...It passed slightly out of view behind some trees, " went Smith's deposition, to which he swore under the Canada Evidence Act, "...then reappeared and hovered in the open sky, and something of a much smaller size fell from the craft." In the 25 seconds the object was in view, Smith remember the loaded camea in his pack. "I ... took two pictures of this strange craft and swear... no other humans were in that area" and "no camera tricker" was involved, he stated. The object was described as circular, shiny, and about 25 feet wide. Arrows point to a small cloud formation virtually unchanged in both photos, proof of Smith's claim that the shots had been taken only seconds apart. Hynek, who flew over the site with Smith, found no evidence of a hoax in his investigation.
September 20, 1967 - Ohio, USA
When this photo was taken, the 1966-67 flap ws on the wane -- but interest across the country was still high. This UFO was snapped somewhere in Ohio on September 20, 1967.
October 22, 1967 - Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
As dusk was descending over Milledgeville, George on October 22, 1967, an unknown photographer took these two pictures of an apparently high-towered UFO. Object was approaching in another photo, then was seen to hover as this second photo was taken.
August 18, 1968 - Cluj, Romania
The Cluj 1968 pictures, Romania:
CLUJ 1968:
One among the series of four photographs of a diurnal disc captured on photograph near Cluj in Romania by Mr. Emil Barnea on August 18, 1968.
The weather was splendid, 36°C without any wind while Barnea and his friend Miss Matea walked in the forest with a couple of friends. His friend shouted that she sees "something," and when he joined her he also saw a large round object, of metallic appearance and shining in the sun in the sky above the top of the trees. Amazed, Barnea remembered all the same that he had his camera and while the UFO advanced slowly changing direction and increasing its luminosity, then suddenly accelerating until he disappeared at the horizon, he had time to take four photographs.
According to him the object was at an altitude of approximately 600 meters considering a 85° elevation on this photography, and 30 meters in diameter.
December 6, 1968 - Sicuani, Peru
1969 - San Jose, Argentina
December 30, 1969, 1.30 p.m. - Bariloche, Argentina
December 30, 1969, 1.30 p.m.
Bariloche, Argentina:
Prof. Sebastian José Tarde, MD, a prominent physician and later director of the Mendoza Central Hospital, spent the year´s end with his students in Bariloche, a popular holiday ressort in the Argentinien Andes. When the group shipped on the Nahuel Huapi-Lake, the Professor shot some photos with his Leica camera. Only after he got them back from development he realized that he had photographed an orange disc over the mountains. Two photographic experts from Mendoza analysed the original slide and concluded that the object cannot be a lens flare nor a mistake in the film. They were sure that it ins indeed a real object. Indeed UFOs are frequently seen over the Lake, and several sightings were reported in 1999 and 2000.