William Rhodes Phoenix photographs

Record summary

What happened Inventor William Rhodes photographed a dark, heel- or disc-shaped object after hearing a jet-like sound during unsettled weather. Army intelligence and the FBI examined prints and interviewed Rhodes. Project investigators later suggested paper or debris lifted by wind, while supporters argued that the two frames show structured motion. Evidence Two contemporary photographs, negatives or early-generation prints, and government investigative correspondence survive in the record. Explanations considered Windborne paper or debris, a thrown model and photographic fabrication are alternatives. What remains uncertain The images provide no independent scale or distance, and the custody history of versions of the negatives is contested. Primary source William Rhodes Phoenix photographs — Wikipedia