New York, New YorkAugust 1961

In August 1961, a Brooklyn resident used a Kodak Brownie camera to photograph what he believed were unidentified flying objects near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The witness submitted four photographs to military authorities, along with his camera for inspection.

Air Force photo analysts examined the prints and negatives carefully. They concluded that none of the objects in the photographs were actually present during the moment the pictures were taken. Instead, the analysts determined that all the "UFO" images resulted from problems that occurred either during film processing or while the prints were being made. Photo 1 contained a scratch in the negative emulsion. Photos 2 and 3 showed damage to the film's coating during processing. Photo 4 displayed foreign material that had settled on the film during the printing process, causing sharp white objects to appear against an otherwise blurry background.

The Air Force's assessment noted that the agency had previously encountered many similar cases in which objects appeared on film only after development. In every instance where the witness had not observed the objects while taking the pictures, the Air Force concluded that damage to the film or printing process, not actual UFOs, explained the images.

The file was marked "Probably Balloon" on its cover sheet, though the analysis itself focused on explaining the photographic anomalies rather than identifying what the witness might have seen. The complete case file, 24 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.