The Victorian Ghost Hand

Since at least 2020, this Victorian-era image has appeared in online adverts, but as of yet, we are unable to fully explain it. Given that it was taken at a Belfast linen factory back in 2000, it initially seems to be just like any other image of a working-class woman from the time. A horrifying detail, though, becomes apparent upon closer inspection: if you look closely at the second row from the bottom, the woman seated in the far right appears to have an unidentified hand on her shoulder.

This one is very frightening for a variety of reasons. For starters, all of the women in the picture have their arms crossed, with the exception of the one on the far left side of the same row. Furthermore, it was impossible to alter a photo with tools like Photoshop in 1900, making it a more genuine "ghost photo" than most of the ones we see now on the Internet. Even today, let alone then, it would be difficult to replicate how the hand appears to be three dimensional and quite lifelike.

• Year: 1900s