The haunting photograph below of linen mill girls is from 1900. It appears that the photo wasn’t just a picture of the living. It shows 15 women posing in their work uniforms in Belfast.
But if you look a little closer, you’ll see something slightly more paranormal. Can you spot the ghost among the mill workers?
Belfast linen mill girls in 1900 pose for a photo in their working gear
Photo: Getty Images
It will take an eagle-eyed viewer to spot what appears to be a disembodied hand resting on the shoulder of the girl on the far right of the photo.
The vintage photograph originally appeared on Belfast Live as part of an article looking back at trades that now no longer exist. One reader got the surprise of her life when she recognized the picture. The woman who contacted Belfast Live said her father had the picture in his home as it featured her great-grandmother, who worked at the linen mill.
“Great to see an old photo of my Granny,” she wrote, “in the by-gone years photo, when she worked at the mill. She was Ellen Donnelly (nee McKillop) and she is fourth on the right in the second row down [of the main picture, below].
“My dad has this photo at home… a family ghost picture! I don’t really believe in ghosts – but there have been a few odd going-ons around this photo, so I hope this doesn’t cause any more!”
“But did anyone spot the mysterious hand on the girl on the right’s shoulder?” she asked.
If you still can’t see it, here it is below — a disembodied hand is clearly resting on the young girl’s shoulder.
The dismembered hand gives the linen girl’s shoulder a squeeze
Photo: Getty Images
What makes this photo so chilling is the fact it was taken more than 100 years ago. So after you get over the shock, we’d love to hear your theories about the dismembered hand giving the unsuspecting mill girl a little squeeze.