Bizarre Gallery

The Queen's House Ghost on the Tulip Staircase. In 1966

The Queen's House Ghost on the Tulip Staircase. In 1966, a retired Canadian Reverend and his wife visited the Queen's House, Greenwich, London. The couple had heard about the famous Tulip staircase and took a photograph, however, once developed on their return to the Canada, they saw the photograph had also captured the image of a spectral, shrouded figure, ascending the stairs in pursuit of a second (and possibly a third) figure. The Rev and Mrs R. W. Hardy were adamant there was no figure on the stairway when the photograph was taken. The image remains an enigma to this day... Date: 1966

© The Estate of Peter Underwood / Mark Lyon Collection / Mary Evans

The benefits of taking the water at Bad Wildungen, Germany

Comic illustration of the wonderful benefits to a lady's urinary tract (!) having taken the water at Bad Wildungen - a German therapeutic spa Town with springs that bring forth water containing iron, magnesium and carbonic acid ("sparkling" or "carbonated"). Today, rather than taking the waters the medical rehabilitation techniques of orthopaedics, psychosomatic illness treatment, internal medicine, rheumatology, neurology, oncology and urology are at the fore of the treatments offered. Date: circa 1920s

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection

Kitsch Greek Greetings Postcard

A kitsch Greek Greetings card, featuring a rather unusual bird (cross between a swallow and a dove!?) carrying a message of good wishes across the sea, surrounded by a border of red and pink flowers. Surprisingly, the printer appears to have spelt one of the words incorrectly, an error which has been altered by the sender

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection