Back in the 2000’s, on a quiet street in Wavertree, Liverpool, England, a strange simulacrum of John Lennon’s face has appeared on a stone gatepost in Newcastle Road, where the legendary Beatle was born in 1940. The gatepost, which was being stripped of its 40-year layer of paint, revealed the image of Lennon’s trademark NHS specs and his face, much to the surprise of local resident Keith Andrews, 61, who was one of the first people to notice it. In this lookback to what a “paranormal article” was in the AOL days, we ask, did John Lennon’s ghost make an appearance in graffiti?
The photo of “John Lennon’s Ghost” has been circulating on the internet for years, but in 2023, it’s clear that this image was not a real ghostly apparition, but rather a stenciled art piece. In the early 2000s, the internet was a strange and wild place, where anything went and anything could be believed. There was no central authority to fact-check information, and many websites were created by amateur hobbyists who were not experts in their field.
Back then, the internet was a place where hoaxes and misinformation flourished, and the photo of “John Lennon’s Ghost” was just one example. Many websites existed specifically to fool people, and these types of articles about ghosts and paranormal activity were believed by many. This was especially true for a generation who had grown up with the Beatles and still held a deep emotional connection to John Lennon.
However, viewed in 2023, it’s clear that this image was not a real ghostly apparition, but rather a stenciled art piece. The technique and style of the image, as well as the fact that it has been found in multiple locations, makes it impossible that this art just appeared by chance.
Furthermore, the implausible story that the person with a close personal connection to John Lennon was among the first to find the art makes the story even more incredible. The mustachioed gentleman might as well have paint on his fingertips.
In retrospect, the internet of the 2000s was a wild and untamed place, where anything was possible and anything could be believed. But as we’ve grown more familiar with the internet and its workings, it’s important to remember that not everything we see online is true, and to fact-check information before we believe it. This is true with aliens, UFO‘s, finances, politics, you name it.
The photo of “John Lennon’s Ghost” serves as a reminder of the internet’s early days, and how far we’ve come in terms of discerning fact from fiction.
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