CLAIM: 1950 McMinnville (OR) photo by the Trents is a 25' flying saucer

[Charlie Wiser]

this would be lightweight enough for wires or fishing line.

Article:

or a Dual record changer spindle part from 1940,

Source: https://www.ufoexplorations.com/make-believe-in-mcminville

From the ufoexplorations website, the author suggests the LIFE photographer realized how the hoax was done and set up the boy on the ladder to hint at it (though the photo was not printed) and I agree it seems likely:

One has to consider Dean's motivation. It is probable that he took the photo to 'pictorially hint' his belief that Paul Trent's
photos were hoaxed. Was Dean trying to visually document one way in which he thought that the prank might have been pulled?

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[Source]

I don't know what order the LIFE pix were taken but this is presumably a set-up shot, since in the other photo the ladder is tipped over.

The article also points out that forced perspective works better from a low angle:

If Trent crouched down low, he could make the flying saucer look farther away than it really was:
By kneeling down even a little bit, and by shooting up from that position, he could force the perspective of the resulting photo to make it appear to have greater distance, yet remain reasonably sharp in focus.

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re. Dual record changer spindle part from 1940
Interesting. The profile matches the UFO pretty well (I've never found a wing mirror or shaving mirror profile that matches), but the hole for the spindle is centered. I haven't found a photo of the underside of this object to see if it's hollow or has a flat base.



(That part from the 1940s became this arm in the 1970s to hold the waiting record horizontal while waiting to drop)

 

[deirdre]

see if it's hollow or has a flat base.

its hollow. the spindle you see on it is not attached to it, that is the phonograph spindle. so they added something different to it and if they didnt screw it tight (nut and bolt) it would be loose and could lean.



https://www.dual-board.de/index.php?thread/1369-1001/

and I agree it seems likely:

totally. i think the photographer also asked to get a photo of him next to his truck.

i dont think hubby was home during the ladder shots, thats why i asked if Loomis Dean (Life photographer)ever said the ladder when there when they arrived. Evelyn alleged at one point she let two men rifle through her entire house (the drawers and all) at one point, so if the photographer asked if she had a ladder i doubt she would say "no", but would let him go get it.

 

[deirdre]

just rough idea. took pic from about 10 feet away, then zoomed in once uploaded to computer. round tupperware type lid.




the lids have a little bump in the middle which i assume is dead center. so made hole there

 

[Giddierone]

1955 aerial shot of the area from https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov

 

[Avalon]

One query about the model hanging from the wire theory is that the wires are quite dark, whereas the ‘flying saucers’ are faded, exhibiting the ‘aerial perspective’ you’d associate with an object further away.

 

[Todd Feinman]

One query about the model hanging from the wire theory is that the wires are quite dark, whereas the ‘flying saucers’ are faded, exhibiting the ‘aerial perspective’ you’d associate with an object further away.

Also known as atmospheric perspective in art. And yes it does.

 

[Ann K]

One query about the model hanging from the wire theory is that the wires are quite dark, whereas the ‘flying saucers’ are faded, exhibiting the ‘aerial perspective’ you’d associate with an object further away.

But we don't know what material the object is made from. If the wires themselves are insulated with a black coating, and the object is made of some light-colored material like aluminum, the comparative values may have nothing to do with aerial perspective. Remember, one of the pictures taken shows an entirely different exposure, or perhaps an entirely different lighting condition if the sun is shining through the cloud cover more brightly.

 

[JMartJr]

One query about the model hanging from the wire theory is that the wires are quite dark, whereas the ‘flying saucers’ are faded, exhibiting the ‘aerial perspective’ you’d associate with an object further away.

I think I gotta disagree. The UFO is not as dark, but it may in fact not have been as dark as the wires. Comparing how sharp the edges of the UFO and the wire are, by moving a bit of the wire in close to the UFO then zooming in on both, I'm not sure I see much difference.

 

[NorCal Dave]

I think I gotta disagree. The UFO is not as dark, but it may in fact not have been as dark as the wires. Comparing how sharp the edges of the UFO and the wire are, by moving a bit of the wire in close to the UFO then zooming in on both, I'm not sure I see much difference.

What difference there might be, could have been enhanced a little if the model were moving a bit, while the wires are stationary.

 

[FatPhil]

What difference there might be, could have been enhanced a little if the model were moving a bit, while the wires are stationary.

But then there'd be more blur in the direction of motion than perpendicular to it, and that's not evident.