Fairies 

In 1917, the public was captivated by the story of two young girls who claimed to have discovered fairies in their garden. Typically, such a claim from children would not be taken seriously, but these girls had photographic evidence to support their story. Even Arthur Conan Doyle, the renowned author of Sherlock Holmes and a well-known skeptic, found himself intrigued by the pictures. He featured them in his personal magazine, confidently asserting their authenticity—although, as it turned out, they were not. It was only 70 years later that the girls confessed to using cardboard cut-outs and staging the photographs. It is worth noting that Arthur Conan Doyle was the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Venusian scout ship 

George Adamski claimed to have been contacted by Venusians and even had multiple encounters with them. Despite his claims being reminiscent of science fiction, Adamski wrote books and gave lectures about his experiences with the deep-space Aryans. He even managed to meet with the Queen of the Netherlands. However, it was later revealed that it was all a hoax. The supposed interstellar Venusian spaceship was nothing more than a lampshade with ping-pong balls attached to it.

Ghost Photo

In 1995, when the town hall in Shropshire was destroyed by fire, Tony O'Rahilly captured a photograph. Upon developing the picture, he observed a young girl standing amidst the flames, where there had previously been an empty doorway. Due to her dress and appearance, speculation arose that she was the ghost of a girl who perished in a fire she had started back in 1677. This intriguing story gained global attention. However, years later, it was discovered that an old-fashioned photograph of a girl, resembling the one in the ghostly image, had been superimposed through a simple case of double exposure.

Levitating Man

Colin Evans, a Welsh spiritualist medium, claimed to have the ability to levitate with the help of spirits. He likened the experience to being lifted up by a crowd like at an Aerosmith concert. However, the truth was much simpler. Evans would simply jump off his chair while holding a cord that triggered a camera to capture the surprised reactions of the audience. Their astonishment at seeing a man seemingly float in mid-air quickly turned to disappointment when they realized the trick. Many of them later requested refunds, regretting spending their money on what they now saw as a foolish spectacle.

Time traveler

The image shown above depicts the opening of a bridge in Gold Bridge, Canada in 1941. While everyone else is dressed in typical 1940s attire, the man on the right stands out with his jumper featuring a prominent "M" symbol, dark sunglasses, a fleece top, and an electronic device in hand. When the Virtual Museum of Canada released these photos, the internet was flooded with theories of time travel. Admittedly, he does appear out of place since people in the 1940s did not typically dress like that, right? However, it turns out that all the clothing worn by our supposed time traveler was indeed available during that era. The glasses he wears are identical to those worn by Barbara Stanwyck in the film Double Indemnity. His shirt is a football sweater, and the device he holds is believed to be a camera.

Los-Angeles photo

In 1942, several months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, an air raid siren was heard in Los Angeles. Anti-aircraft fire filled the sky as spotlights illuminated an aircraft hovering over the city. The following day, newspapers reported that a UFO had been seen over LA, with a picture of the UFO illuminated by spotlights. The government claimed it was a misunderstanding, sparking suspicions of a cover-up. However, it was later revealed that it was just a weather balloon, although tensions were already high due to the recent attack by the Japanese. The Army and Navy had overreacted to something harmless in the sky. The spotlights made the object appear more menacing, especially since the newspaper had altered the image to make it look more like a UFO. Years later, it was proven that there was no battle for Los Angeles.

Mulmers photo

Mulmer was a jewelry engraver who also had a hobby in photography. He was known for taking photos of people with their deceased relatives appearing in the background. The photo above features Abraham Lincoln's widow with a tall, bearded man behind her. Some doubted the authenticity of Mulmer's photos, suggesting that he achieved the effect through double exposure. It was revealed in a court case that many of the ghostly figures were actually still alive and had recently posed for photos with Mulmer.

Patterson 

The Patterson photo, which is widely recognized as the most famous picture of Bigfoot, was captured by Roger Patterson and his friend Robert Grimlin. This iconic image has been referenced in various forms of media, from The Simpsons to Will Ferrel's Elf. Patterson and Grimlin were riding on horseback in Six Rivers National Forest while filming a documentary when they unexpectedly encountered Bigfoot. Ironically, they were already documenting the elusive creature at the time. Regrettably, several individuals have since come forward to confess their involvement in the fabrication of the photo. These individuals include the person wearing the Bigfoot costume (let's be honest, did anyone really believe it was anything other than a guy in a gorilla suit?), a special effects artist responsible for creating the suit, and one of the film's producers.

Loch Ness monster 

The most famous picture of the Loch Ness monster is known as the surgeon's photo, and it is credited with sparking the Loch Ness craze. This image is what comes to mind for most people when they think of Nessie. Allegedly taken by a gynecologist and his wife while on holiday driving along the banks of Loch Ness, the photo turned out to be a hoax. The monster in the picture was actually a toy submarine. The fake photo was created as revenge against the Daily Mail, which had mocked a man named Wetherall for claiming to have found Nessie's footprints, which were later revealed to be from a hippopotamus. Wetherall and his accomplice intended to embarrass the newspaper with another fake, but they remained silent when the public became captivated by the image.

Gizmo

Ted Serios claimed to possess a unique psychic ability. He claimed that he could transfer his thoughts onto developing film using only his mind. To do this, he would become intoxicated, yell, and hold a small device he called a "gizmo" to the camera lens while someone else triggered the shutter. The resulting developed film would show blurry images of cars, buildings, and people. Serios gained fame and even appeared on television, with an episode of The X-Files inspired by his story. However, it is now believed that the photos were not genuine. It is thought that the gizmo contained a lens with a pre-existing image on it, and later experiments were able to replicate the same effect.