The Cleveland Museum of Art

Two ghosts have been seen at this art museum when a portrait of them was on display in this building.

Cleveland Museum of Art
1916 Building

The Cleveland Museum of Art opened its doors in 1916. It has been expanded and renovated over the years. It sits in northeastern Ohio in in the town of Cleveland. It is by the city’s Wade Lagoon and Fine Arts Park.

Claude Monet, the forefather of French Impressionism had a distinct appearance while alive. His salt and pepper beard and favorite bowler hats made him easily recognizable.

When this Cleveland art museum installed a show in 2011 entitled: Painting the Modern Garden, Monet to Matisse, staff at the museum saw Monet’s ghost.

Monet's Water Lilies displayed in museum.

Jeffrey Strean, the museum’s director of design and architecture saw Monet standing on a balcony overlooking the space used for this new show. Monet stood and watched directly above where a vintage photo of him was being hung.

Ghost or Monet look-alike.

In a gallery located in the original space in the museum known as the 1916 Building, one of the original directors of the museum has been seen.

William Milliken

William Mathewson Milliken has been seen wandering through this space. He began work in the museum in 1919 and by 1930 he became the museum’s second director. In all, he worked at the museum for 38 years. He retired in 1958 and passed away in 1978.

Under his guidance the museum gained an international reputation.

He is seen wearing his favorite tweed jacket with elbow patches. He appears to clutch a folder under one arm. It was not until the staff went through the museum’s photograph collection that this connection was made.

Renovated haunted gallery at museum.

In this gallery, night watchmen report their flashlights malfunction. When they enter the room their lights extinguish, once they leave the room their lights turn back on.

During one renovation workmen wearing hardhats reported something similar. The lights on their hats would go out in this gallery only to turn back on once they left the room.

Jean-Gabriel du Theil
at signing of
Treaty of Vienna.

Another haunting involves an oil portrait entitled, Portrait of Jean-Gabriel du Theil at the Signing of the Treaty of Vienna done by Jacques André Joseph Arel. The ghost of Jean-Gabriel du Theil has been seen observing his image.

Water leaks and electrical shorts plagued the corner where their picture once hung. When this oil painting was put in storage the issues stopped.

The above stories where first written down by Carolyn Ivanye the museums protection services operations manager.

Wade Lagoon above and more renovated space below.

This museum celebrates its Centennial anniversary this year.

The Ghost of Catherine Howard

Catherine Howard became the fifth wife of the Tudor King Henry VIII. She was born in 1521 into a prestigious Catholic family. Her first cousin Anne Boleyn, the niece of the Duke of Norfolk, was King Henry VIII’s second wife. Unfortunately, Catherine's fate was to be similar to her cousins. 

Catherine’s mother died when she was young, so she was sent to live in the house of Agnes, with the Dowager Duchess who basically ignored her. Her education was neglected, and she could barely read or write.

Catherine Howard

Because of this neglect, Catherine had freedom most young woman of noble birth at that time were not allowed. She became flirtatious and impetuous, which resulted in illicit relationships with young men. Catherine had a tie at the age of 15 with her music teacher, Henry Mannox. She then took a gentleman’s usher by the name Francis Dereham as her first lover. 

When the Dowager was informed of Catherine’s behavior she was horrified. Instead of blaming herself she had Catherine whipped. The Duke of Norfolk decided that his young niece who was admired for her beauty should be sent to court to advance the families’ fortunes.

She was sent to Hampton Court to be a lady-in-waiting. Just as the Duke had hoped she attracted the eye of King Henry VIII. Henry became obsessed with Catherine. Thinking she was all that was pure and good, he started to think of her as his “rose without thorn.” Catherine was indeed sweet and kind, but she was not innocent. At first, she didn’t mind the difference in their ages--she was 19 he was 49. She liked the beautiful clothes and jewels that Henry provided.

Catherine married Henry in 1540. But it wasn’t long before her soiled past started to catch up with her. She was forced to give former members of the Dowager Duchesses’ household positions at Court in return for their silence. 

Not long after her marriage, still promiscuous, Catherine started a new affair. A young courtier, Thomas Culpepper whose duties were to attend to all of Henry’s special needs, became her lover. Jane Rochford a lady-in waiting who had played a part in Queen Anne Boleyn’s downfall encouraged this affair between Catherine and Culpepper. 

Their affair quickly became known at court. At first, Henry would not listen to these rumors. But the Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer built a case against the young Catholic Queen. His evidence included information about her affairs while at Agnes and love letters that she had written to Culpepper. 

Henry devastated banned Catherine from his presence and ordered she be arrested. Catherine was confined to her apartments at Hampton Court for adultery.

She escaped at one point and tried to find Henry to plead for her life. But she was dragged back screaming to her rooms. Catherine’s former lovers, Mannox, Dereham, and Culpepper were tortured and executed. She passed their gruesome impaled heads on London Bridge on her way to the Tower of London. She was beheaded in February of 1542 at the age of 21. 

After the executioner chopped off her head with an ax, he held it up for the crowd to see. She would have remained alive for eight seconds after her head was removed from her body because it takes that long for the lack of oxygen to cause unconsciousness and death. So Catherine most likely saw her own headless body when this was done.

Catherine Howard’s ghost haunts two places. She is seen in the area where she was kept awaiting execution at the Tower of London and at Hampton Court Palace where she lived with King Henry VIII. 

Her ghost has become known as "The Screaming Lady of the Haunted Gallery."

Since her death, she has been seen running through the Hampton gallery for it was here she was dragged back to her rooms after attempting to plead for her life. She is known as an anniversary ghost for her apparition is seen in this area on the date she was put under arrest. Her ghostly hand is also seen floating near the portrait of her in this gallery.

Many visitors to this Haunted Gallery over the years have stated that they sensed something not quite right about this area. "Grace- of- favor" residents in nearby apartments report hearing her screams in the gallery. One radio interview that was being conducted in this area had to shut down when their equipment stopped working. 

In 1999, two female visitors to Hampton Court each on separate tours a half hour apart fainted att he same exact spot in this gallery. In 2000 psychologists from the University of Hertfordshire concluded from their investigation that all the witnesses to this activity over the years experienced it in the same areas.

Hampton Court Palace has many other ghosts that haunt it as well. In future posts, I will share their stories. Even King Henry VIII’s ghost has been seen but not at Hampton Court. His spirit is seen at Windsor Castle.