The Photos That Won’t Be Debunked

On May 11, 1950, Evelyn and Paul Trent photographed a UFO on their Oregon farm. Two clear pictures of a metallic disc have survived every attempt at debunking for 74 years. The McMinnville photos remain among the most credible UFO evidence ever captured.

The Witnesses

Who they were:

• Paul Trent (farmer)
• Evelyn Trent (wife)
• McMinnville, Oregon
• Simple country folk
• Never sought fame

The Evening

May 11, 1950:

• About 7:30 PM
• Still daylight
• Farm property
• Evelyn feeding rabbits
• Saw object

Evelyn’s Sighting

What she saw:

• Metallic object
• Disc shaped
• Hovering slowly
• Called husband
• “Get the camera!”

Paul’s Actions

His response:

• Got camera
• Came outside
• Saw object
• Took first photo
• Advanced film

The Photographs

Two images:

• Different angles
• Seconds apart
• Clear daylight
• Object visible
• Disc shaped

The Object

What they show:

• Metallic disc
• Flat bottom
• Dome top
• Slight tilt between shots
• Solid object

The Delay

Why wait to publish?

• Photos not developed immediately
• Months passed
• Friends saw negatives
• Eventually news
• Reluctant publicity

Life Magazine

Publication:

• June 1950
• National coverage
• Made photos famous
• Credibility assessment
• Positive coverage

Analysis History

Who studied them:

• Condon Committee
• Bruce Maccabee (physicist)
• Many others
• Decades of study
• No debunk successful

Bruce Maccabee

Key analyst:

• Optical physicist
• Navy scientist
• Extensive study
• Concluded authentic
• Best evidence

The Condon Report

Scientific review:

• 1969 report
• Could not debunk
• “One of the few” remaining
• Unexplained
• Official acknowledgment

Skeptical Attempts

Challenges made:

• Model hanging from wire
• Truck mirror
• Various theories
• None proven
• All refuted

Shadow Analysis

Scientific method:

• Shadow angles studied
• Sun position calculated
• Consistent with time
• Not studio lighting
• Outdoor authenticity

The Trents’ Story

Their account:

• Never changed
• Never profited significantly
• Died maintaining truth
• Consistent always
• Credible witnesses

The UFO Festival

McMinnville today:

• Annual celebration
• UFO Fest
• Photos displayed
• Tourist attraction
• Community pride

Negative Survival

The film:

• Original negatives exist
• Held by newspaper
• Available for study
• Not lost
• Preservable evidence

Significance

74 years of scientific analysis failing to debunk clear daylight photographs of a UFO.

Legacy

The McMinnville photos prove that extraordinary evidence exists—two photographs that every skeptic has tried and failed to debunk for three quarters of a century.