Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Sepia Saturday 191: The devil made me do it!








  • I thought this trio looked a bit menacing. Probably because the image is so dark. When I looked closely at the man's beard, lo and behold - I saw a small face in it! (The white marks on the original photo are mine). Is it a little animal or a devil? After spotting the  face when you look at the whole image again, you can see (with your eyes half shut) that the fingers resting on his shoulders look like animal paws. Maybe?

    By now you're thinking I've ceased taking my medication again but actually I think the reason I saw the image stems back to my days growing up in Canada. In 1954, the Canadian one dollar bill was issued. Here's the picture of the Queen on the bill:







    And here's a close-up of her image:



    As you can see (or not) there seems to be a devil's image in the Queen's curls. A huge controversy ensued over the bill; nut cases came out of the woodwork with bizarre conspiracy theories and the mint had to reissue the bill with the curls altered and the so-called image obliterated. 

    Googling the matter, I found mention of a memoir of the Royal photographer who took this picture during that time period. It turns out he was gay and involved with the Queen's male hairdresser. Maybe there was some sort of covert statement being made after all? Here's the reference if anyone is interested.

    Devils Face in Queens hair

    Almost every day, there's some article in "News of the Weird" about a holy image in a fallen ice cream cone or on a stained wall or a baby's diaper. The most bizarre ghostly and holy image I can remember hearing about was the Virgin Mary's image on toast. The holy toast was a decade old when it was auctioned on ebay in 2004 for $28,000. Personally I think the image looks more like Marlene Dietrich than I imagined the Virgin Mary might look.

    Virgin Mary on Toast



    I had some dreary pictures in my own collection of trios in formal settings, like the prompt this week, but I chose instead to use this favorite photo of my mother, my sister and I at the beach. The only devil in this image would be me - at the very annoying age of about 4.


    Check out what others see in photo number 191 at
    Sepia Saturday


24 comments:

  1. You look like a little angel :) That trio looks frightening to me after reading your analysis - devils beard and claws. shiver.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG ! That was toooo fun! I love the beard, the paws, the queen (although I sure don't see any devil) The toast (I agree, Marlene), the gay hairdresser, and the darling little 4 yr. old devil with cute little cheeks.
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoyed your post, I come from Canada, and yes, I have heard of the devil in the curls...

    ReplyDelete
  4. What am entertaining post this week
    You had me looking into beards and into curls seeing what I can see !!!
    Jackie
    Scrapbangwallop

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the perspective of your beach photo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well that was an unexpected twist on the prompt, but a very entertaining one. Rob will be amazed at what you found in his original picture I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've never heard of the devil in the Queen's curls, but then again I'm not Canadian! An interesting story and a unique take on the prompt this week.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well they say the devil's in the detail but I never expected this - great fun. The beach phto is a beaut! Lokk at thi=ose inherited legs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On behalf of my mother and sister, I thank you for the leg compliment. They would be delighted, as am I.

      Delete
  9. I can't see a thing, and I'm mighty intrigues after all these comments. All I'm getting is a straight, thick, black line. Boooo.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm just loving this post...devil in the Queen's curls? Remember the Virgin Mary in the tortilla (that was in New Mexico, USA I think) a few years ago? My absolute favorite is the logger who felled a huge pine, found the Virgin Mary's image in the raw stump...that was here in Maine many, many years ago! Anyway, what a great trip today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I forgot about the tortilla...that was a good one!!

      Delete
    2. I like the beach photo and its unusual point of view.

      I couldn't see the devil in the Queen's curls.

      Delete
  11. Wow, I wasn't expecting that:)

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a fun take on the theme - well done!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I must say, this post was Toasty! What a fun imagination and twist on the theme photo you have pointed out. God save the Queen...what a bit of hysterical...I mean historical trivia...really??? the hairdresser and the photographer!!!

    Great 3Some photo on the beach!
    Sue CollectInTexasGal~Today's Post~
    Older Sister Syndrome~Sepia SAT Sibling 3Some

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your beach photo rocks! It's so funny I am not a beard fan at all, and maybe it's because so many look like this man's beard...yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Funny thing too, my hubby once wore one, but it's so funny after that one time experience he never ever wore one again, so far!

    ReplyDelete
  16. And I just thought it was something nesting in his beard -- never realized it could be a devil's nest. Great fun.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well I've been teased about the food leftovers in my beard, bird nests, and the like, but nobody's ever suggest a devil. Fun post, but I am taken with your beach trio ... Oh, my daughter just took a cake out of the oven, and there is a devilish face staring up at me! Now, where's my medication, or perhaps I've had too much coffee.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous5:42 PM

    The poor man in the photo. He's just the clergyman and his two sisters who rescued Jane Eyre from wherever it was she got lost ! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I didn't see the devil, but beards without moustaches always remind me of goats, and goats are somehow connected to the devil, right? That was an interesting story about the Queen's hair.

    ReplyDelete
  20. You have a good imagination for finding faces. I love the last shot of the three of you holding similar poses.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Admit it!!
    You ran out of meds...
    :D~
    Loved this!!
    I often see things but never give it any credence
    as a sign of conspiracy, or whatever else...
    :D~
    HUGZ

    ReplyDelete