Rhodes UFO photographs facts for kids
The Rhodes UFO photos are two pictures taken on July 7, 1947, by William A. Rhodes. These photos supposedly show a disc-shaped object flying over Phoenix, Arizona. Rhodes's story and the pictures were printed in the Arizona Republic newspaper just two days later, on July 9. People sometimes call them "the shoe-heel UFO photos" because of the object's shape.
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Who Was William A. Rhodes?
William Albert Rhodes was born in Kansas in 1916. He was a very creative person with many interests. He studied music and was known as "Wee Willie" as a musician. He also taught music.
Rhodes was very good at building things. He made a radio-controlled model airplane, which was quite advanced for its time. He also built a large telescope. Later in life, he became an electronics engineer. His skills in radio and model aircraft were well-known.
The Mystery Disc Photos
On July 9, 1947, the Arizona Republic newspaper put Rhodes's photos on its front page. The headline read, "Mystery 'Whatsis' Photographed over Phoenix." A picture of Rhodes with his camera was also included.
Rhodes told the newspaper he was walking to his home workshop when he heard a "whoosh" sound. He thought it might be a new type of jet plane. He quickly grabbed his camera and took two pictures. Rhodes said that after the first sound, the object became completely silent. He also claimed the object flew over his house three times and left two trails behind it.
The newspaper described the object in the photos as looking like "the shape of a heel of a shoe, with a small hole in the center."
What Happened After the Photos?
Soon after the photos were published, the FBI became interested. On July 8, they got copies of the pictures from the newspaper. Later, on August 9, FBI agents and Army intelligence officers interviewed Rhodes. He gave them his photos and the original negatives.
In 1948, two officers from the Air Material Command visited Rhodes in Phoenix to learn more. Years later, in 2015, official files about the investigation into Rhodes and his photos were made public online.
How People Reacted
The Rhodes photos caused a lot of talk, especially among people interested in unexplained flying objects.
- Fate Magazine: In 1948, a magazine called Fate published a story about the photos. The editor, Raymond Palmer, wondered why these important pictures hadn't been shown in more newspapers. He thought they were "proof positive" of flying discs.
- Kenneth Arnold: Kenneth Arnold, who had his own famous UFO sighting in 1947, said that military officers told him they believed Rhodes's pictures were real.
- Other Witnesses: In 1952, another reporter claimed to have seen a flying disc in 1947. He said it looked very similar to the object in William A. Rhodes's photos.
Some people later claimed that the Army had seized all copies of the newspaper and the photo negatives. However, the Arizona Republic newspaper said this was not true. They explained that Rhodes had given his pictures to the government on his own, and the newspaper had printed many copies of the paper.
Rhodes's Later Life
William A. Rhodes continued to be an inventor and scientist throughout his life.
- In 1950, he photographed another unidentified object, this time using a powerful telescope.
- He built a large 16-inch portable telescope in 1951.
- Rhodes was mentioned in magazines like Popular Mechanics and Newsweek for inventing a TV light amplifier.
- He also worked on solar-powered machines and helped form the "Institute for Advanced Research."
- In 1960, he helped the Arizona Republic newspaper figure out when a US satellite called Echo 1 would be visible in Phoenix.
- He even helped local firefighters develop a heat detection device.
- In 1962, Rhodes received a patent for an invention that created a special gas, sometimes called "Brown's Gas."
William Albert Rhodes passed away in 2007. His photos of the mysterious disc continued to be discussed by people interested in UFOs for many years.
Images for kids
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On July 12, Kenneth Arnold drew a crescent-shape to describe the disc he claimed to witness.
