Evansville Photographer Shares Hauntingly Beautiful Photoshoot at Willard Library
This photoshoot is perfect to get us in the spooky mood for the Halloween season!
Evansville's Most Notorious Ghost
If you've never heard of the Grey Lady, are you even from Evansville? The Grey Lady is said to haunt Willard Library off First Avenue. If you've ever been to Willard Library you know what a truly beautiful Victorian Gothic style building the library is, it opened in 1885 and was the first public library in the state of Indiana.
With being the first public library in Indiana, you know there has to be some very interesting history there! According to Willard Library, no one truly knows who the Grey Lady is, but it is widely speculated that she is the ghost of Louise Carpenter the daughter of Willard Library founder, Willard Carpenter. The first sighting of The Grey Lady happened in 1937, and this haunting has been pretty well documented ever since. If you'd like to read more about the Grey Lady, you can check out an article all about her, here.
Photographer Inspired By The Grey Lady
Hayden Burns Photography is well known for gorgeous senior photography, but for spooky season she decided to change things up and do a photoshoot inspired by Evansville's infamous ghostly lady. The images she captured are haunting, stunning, and chilling!
Hayden Burns Photography had this to say about the photoshoot inspiration:
In 1876 a real estate mogul, Willard Carpenter, began his dream of owning a library but passed away before it could be completed. All of Willard's estate was left to fund the library. Upset that she was left out of his estate, Louise Carpenter, his estranged daughter, sued the project for her portion of the inheritance but lost. The oldest library in Indiana, Willard Library opened in 1885. For decades now, many believe Louise is the ghost who haunts the historic library. Others say it was a woman who drowned in a nearby canal close to the property. Whomever she is, to us she will always be known as the Grey Lady. Growing up here, I've attended a few ghost tours over the years. I've never gotten the privilege of seeing or hearing anything but have always been intrigued. So I did what I know how to do best and decided to style a shoot for this Halloween. Thank you to Willard Public Library for their accommodations and allowing us to make this happen.
Model: Elle BlessingerHair and Makeup: Crystal Storme SmithStyling and Photography: Tricia Hayden BurnsAssistants: Jennifer Blessinger and Jeanne MacGregor Larson
Check out more of these hauntingly beautiful photos below, and a big thank you to Hayden Burns Photography for allowing me to share your beautiful work!
Hauntingly Beautiful Photoshoot Inspired by Evansville's Grey Lady
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