by Lee Karen Stow
Seaing Monsters
A photographic response to the influence of newspaper reports of sightings of sea monsters on the Yorkshire Coast and river Humber.
People see what they want to see.
I see monsters in the seaweed.
“… in addition to its great height, the serpent had large eyes which shone like green lamps, a mouthful of white teeth which gleamed in the setting sun like a marble wall and the upper part of its body was something like that of a horse.”
A “Green-Eyed Monster” Visits Our Shores
Hull Daily Mail, September 24, 1891
“It was a great round back, about three hundred yards away, and a bit bigger than a cow from where we were sitting. Then it suddenly turned inshore and swam towards us. I then saw that it had eyes the size of portholes, and I noticed that these eyes were flashing, perhaps in the sun’s rays. After a short distance it turned round, swam in circles, dived and came up again, and then swam off towards Spurn.
Hull Man Sees Humber Monster: Eyes That Fill One With Terror
The Daily Mail (Hull) February 6, 1934
“Possessing an ostrich-shaped head, the 12ft monster measured two feet across its head. It had eyes each the size of a man’s fist, a grey skin and a straight tail. In its stomach were found several kittiwakes, which appeared to have been its only diet. The teeth were all moveable, although set in deep ridges, and there were no scales.”
Sea Monster in Hull Trawler Net
The Daily Mail (Hull), October 28, 1938
“The sea was quite calm and the object, which I should judge to be about 70 feet in length, left a peculiar-smooth trail of water behind it. Two humps kept below water for about a minute and then reappeared so I do not think it can have been a school of porpoise.”
The Sea-Serpent Again Seen Off Bridlington This Time
The Daily Mail (Hull), August 24, 1936
A Filey fisherman reports “The head was a startling sight – huge tortoise eyes like saucers, glaring at me, the creature’s mouth was a foot wide and its neck would be a yard round. The monster appeared as startled as I was … It moved away growling fiercely, and I saw the huge black body had two humps on it and four short legs with huge flappers on them. I could not see any tail. It moved quickly, rolling from side to side and went into the sea.
The Daily Telegraph March 1, 1934
Read more ‘Above Below…’ articles:
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