This was in my Thursday Update, an email I subscribe to from the New York Times:
| Back Story |
| The most famous photograph of a very camera-shy monster was published in The Daily Mail 83 years ago this week. |
| The sinuous silhouette of the Loch Ness monster (affectionately known as Nessie) appeared in The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, in April 1934. The picture, apparently taken in the Scottish Highlands by a respected London gynecologist and known as “the surgeon’s photograph,” claimed to show the monster’s long neck and head above water. |
“The Surgeon’s Photograph,” first published in 1934, was said to show the Loch Ness monster.
Associated Press |
| The image ignited a media frenzy that year, with The Times itself mentioning the beast no fewer than 55 times. |
| Though many pictures of Nessie have been taken over the decades (most later found to show wakes from boats, optical illusions, birds or otters), the surgeon’s photograph remains the clearest. But it was proved to be a hoax in 1994, nothing more than a small model on top of a toy submarine. |
| Despite the hoax (and a number of others like it), many still believe that the monster exists, hidden in dark waters with depths of almost 750 feet. |
| Last year, Nessie hunters did find something at the bottom of the loch — a 30-foot movie prop version of the monster. For now, it’s the closest thing to finding Nessie itself. |
| Des Shoe contributed reporting. |
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