History of My Favourite Martian Photograph
Out of all the photographs of aliens I’ve got a favourite that has intrigued me for years. I’ve always wondered about its history and if it was real or fake. And if it was indeed a fake, how they did it and why they did it…Whoever, ‘they’ are. I came across this photograph again recently in an unexpected place; the UFO section of the Library and Archives Canada.
A Brief History of the Vintage Alien Photo and My Interest
The photograph in question is pictured here to the right. The picture is a vintage photo that depicts four people; two of which appear to be secret agents of some sort, escorting a small alien-like being. Behind this odd trio are two women, who appear to be following and looking at this strange sight with much interest. You’ll find this photo all over the web along with assertions that the photo is genuine or that it’s a proven hoax. The problem I’ve always had is that usually no one is able to back up the claims either way.
I’ve heard and read a number of theories about both the origins of this early ‘Men in Black’ type photo and how it was done. One of the theories is that it was proven that the original photograph had a baby pram between the men and that one of the women was pushing it. I’ve heard this from a couple of sources but none of them has been able to show or tell me where this was proven. A friend of mine who is an “old-school” photograph re-touch artist had heard of that theory too but he’s never seen that proof. Moreover, he’s also wondered for the longest time how on earth it was re-touched.
One of the other odd aspects of the history of this photo is that there are at least two accounts for where it was originally taken. Some accounts (and we’re also talking oral history here) say that the photo came out of Europe in the 1950’s and that it portrays an ET captured in Germany. Other stories say that it originated from Mexico or New Mexico from that same general time period. The ‘agents’ in these stories have been CIA, FBI, Gestapo, KGB and who knows what other spy or law enforcement agency.
With all these little incomplete stories and theories, this one little photo has become quite the legend in its time. Something where, everyone goes, “Oh yeah, I heard about that…” It’s a curious head scratcher all right but one that usually doesn’t occupy too much of my time. And then I came across it in the virtual exhibition of Canada’s UFOs, at the Library and Archives Canada website. Well, to be more accurate, first I came across a letter from John Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI mentioning the photograph.
Hoover’s Denial
October 31, 1967
Dear Mr. Golding,
Your letter of October 25th has been received.
In response to your inquiry, the investigation of Unidentified Flying Objects is not and never has been a matter that is within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI. I can assure you that the photograph you mentioned does not represent employees of this Bureau.
Enclosed is some material about our activities which I hope you will find of interest.
Sincerely yours,
John Edgar Hoover
Director
Who Is Mr. Golding and What Did He Send to J. Edgar Hoover?
I haven’t been able to find out very much about Mr. Golding other than his full name is Donald W. Golding, he is or was interested in UFOs during the 60’s and 70’s, that he lived in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and that he apparently headed an organization called, Canadian UFO Research (C.U.F.O.R.). It’s quite possible that Donald Golding was the sole person in this organization. It also turns out that he sent at least two letters to the FBI, and a number of letters and clippings to the RCMP, as well as the National Research Council, (NRC). Going through the material he submitted, it would appear that the photograph that Hoover was referring to was the same one that I’m interested in. However, it’s presented in a different context; it is accompanied by a short magazine or news article.
There’ll Always Be A Little Green Man
The question you are supposed to be asking is, who the heck is that funny little man with the skinny arms? Well, according to Allan’s Moonchart, of Salem, Oregon, which once published the photograph, he is a crewman of a flying saucer that crashed near Mexico City in 1952. According to a newspaper in Cologne, West Germany, which also published the shot, he is the silver-clad occupant of a saucer ‘being led down an American street by two FBI agents.’ The owner of this print is Mladen Grohovac, a Fuller Brush salesman and amateur astronomer who serves as an official of the Montreal UFO Study Group. Grohovac obtained the photo from Gordon Beatty, an 80-year-old member of the same group, who says he got it from a Montreal astronomer and economist named Carl O’Dell, since deceased. “I don’t know what to think of the picture,” says Beatty. “But I believe that creatures from other worlds are visiting Earth.”
More Questions and a Renewed Interest
I was stunned when I read this short article about my favourite ‘Martian photo’. I’d never come across a print article (or even an internet article for that matter) that discussed this photo in depth. It’s always been short little notes to the effect that this photo is real or this photo is a fake. But who published this article and when? Well, judging from Hoover’s letter, the article was probably published in 1966 or 1967. As for who published it, another document at Library and Archives Canada leads me to believe that MACLEAN’S did, however I can’t be 100% positive on that. (Link to: MACLEAN’S reply to Golding.) Regardless, this new find tweaked my interest and renewed my interest to find out more about the history and truth of this fascinating alien photograph.
Continued: Part 2 of the History of My Favourite Martian Photograph
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