This image was shot by Ken Rathburn in 2000 as the two of us were investigating the Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott City, MD. It is one of the most intriguing mist photos I have ever seen. Everywhere you look there seems to be faces in the image. It wasn’t until we were done picking out all the details within the image that we noticed the “big picture”. The whole image appears to be that of a woman with long hair and a flowing gown holding a baby in her out stretched arms. Some believe this to be the image of Annie Van Derlot, a young girl that died from pneumonia during the years the PFI was a school for girls. This doesn’t explain what appears to be a baby in the picture. I have never seen any mention of Annie having a baby or even a miscarriage. Whoever or whatever this is, it is still quite an amazing picture.
