The McMinnville UFO Photographs

On May 11, 1950, Evelyn Trent photographed something over her McMinnville, Oregon farm that remains one of the most credible and analyzed UFO photographs ever taken. After seven decades of scrutiny, no one has conclusively proven what she captured—or proven it was a hoax.

The Sighting

At approximately 7:30 PM, Evelyn Trent was walking back to her farmhouse after feeding rabbits when she saw a slow-moving metallic disc in the sky. According to documented accounts:

• She called her husband Paul, who was inside
• Paul grabbed their camera (a Kodak Universal with limited exposures remaining)
• He took two photographs before the object tilted, accelerated, and flew away to the west
• Total sighting duration: approximately 2-3 minutes

The Photographs

The two images show:

• A flat, disc-shaped object
• Metallic or light-colored surface
• Some surface detail visible
• Consistent positioning relative to landscape features
• No visible means of propulsion

The photos remained undeveloped for several weeks until the film was finished and processed at a local drugstore.

Investigation and Analysis

The photographs have been analyzed extensively:

Condon Committee (1967-1968): Analyst William Hartmann concluded the photos were consistent with “an extraordinary flying object, silvery, metallic, disc-shaped, tens of meters in diameter.” He found no evidence of hoax.

Ground Saucer Watch (1970s): Computer analysis suggested a large, distant object rather than a small, nearby one.

Skeptical Analysis: Some researchers have proposed the object could be a truck mirror or other mundane object suspended from the overhead wires visible in the photos.

Further Analysis (2000s): Re-examination of shadows and lighting continued to produce conflicting conclusions.

The Witnesses

Paul and Evelyn Trent remained consistent in their account for the rest of their lives:

• They didn’t seek publicity initially
• A local reporter discovered the photos weeks later
• They never profited significantly from the images
• They agreed to polygraph tests and passed
• Neither ever recanted

Paul Trent died in 1997, Evelyn in 1998. Both maintained they had photographed something genuinely anomalous.

The Controversy

Arguments for authenticity:

• Consistent witness testimony over 50 years
• No evidence of model or suspended object in photos
• Lighting analysis suggests a distant, large object
• The Trents’ character was vouched for by neighbors

Arguments against:

• The overhead wires could have suspended a small object
• Some shadow analyses suggest inconsistencies
• A small garbage can lid model could match the shape
• Physical evidence (the negative) has degraded over time

The Object’s Appearance

The photos show a disc with characteristics:

• Approximately flat on bottom
• Slightly domed on top
• Light-colored surface
• No windows, lights, or other features visible
• Estimated at 20-30 feet across if at significant distance

Legacy

The McMinnville photographs remain:

• Among the most studied UFO images
• Unresolved despite 70+ years of analysis
• Featured in countless documentaries and books
• The subject of an annual UFO Festival in McMinnville

The town has embraced its UFO heritage, hosting the annual McMinnville UFO Festival each May.

Sources

• McMinnville UFO photographs - Wikipedia