Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about this image: who took it, when, what is depicts, why it is so over-exposed. In early 1968, several months after the Mothman sightings in Point Pleasant, WV, a vintage silver print of it was mailed, without return address and in a plain yellow envelope with a heavyweight clasp, to the special collections division of the New York Public Library. Experts there could find no evidence of doctoring, and thought the image itself was quite old, possibly from the 19th century. It remained there, uncatalogued, until the library sold off a small portion of its “undesired” holdings in the early 70s. From there it passed through several hands until joining the present collection.