Texas, USA: A literal elephant in the room. Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

By Alex Jones

 

MYSTERY surrounds a box of bizarre 50-year-old images found tucked away in a Texan loft – with one theory suggesting the perplexing shots were created by TIME-TRAVELLERS.

Texas, USA: Could one of these floating keys unlock the mystery? Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

The origins of the mind-bending pictures, including a surreal photo of cowboys wrangling with floating seahorses and an unsettling oversized doll all set in an abandoned home, are shrouded in mystery.

Other eerie images include misshapen cutlery scattered across a derelict hallway, a monstrous rotten apple with a chunk bitten out of it in a mouldy room, and a surreal spring-loaded novelty Jesus statue in a dated lecture hall.

Texas, USA: A novelty Jesus figurine overwhelms a classroom. Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

The startling cache of pictures was discovered by Arizonan photographer Dale O’Dell, 59, whilst he was clearing out his dead grandmother’s house in Texas

“It was a completely unexpected, out-of-the-blue discovery as I cleaned out the attic of my deceased grandmother’s home,” O’Dell explained.

“Everything I found were things you’d expect, normal, usual kinds of things that are either distributed to remaining family members or tossed in the rubbish bin – except for a dusty, falling apart old envelope of weird pictures that shouldn’t exist.

Texas, USA: Rotten to the core: an aged apple is central to this thought provoking shot. Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

“The photos seemed to me to be out-of-time and out-of-place.

“I wasn’t sure exactly what I had but it seemed important.

“Were the owners artists, or art-collectors, or perhaps, time-travellers?”

O’Dell is now attempting to find out where the curious images came from but has had little luck so far.

Texas, USA: A random rodeo featuring cowboys and seahorses. Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

“With both grandparents deceased, they wouldn’t be providing any answers,” he continued.

“Neighbours I questioned knew nothing and neither did any of the remaining family members of my grandmother’s.

“I have no knowledge of my grandparents’ circle of friends, so no answers there either.

“I found no cameras or props or anything that could indicate the vintage colour prints that’ve been hidden away for fifty years or more were created by my grandparents.

Texas, USA: A nervous, crouching dog looks wary in this bizarre photo. Mediadrumimages / Dale O’Dell

“The mystery of the discovery is as compelling as the photos themselves.”

O’Dell has created a book of the fascinating images, ‘Lost in Time: The Mystery of the Attic Photos’ available here.