The Shining's Iconic Final Photo Found 45 Years On

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of The Shining features one of horror cinema's most unforgettable final shots: a deeply unsettling photograph from the Overlook Hotel's 1921 Fourth of July ball, where Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) appears as a central figure despite not yet being born. Nicholson was digitally inserted into an authentic photograph modified for the movie, but the original image faded into obscurity after its use—until now. Shining enthusiasts, rejoice: the original 1921 Fourth of July ball photograph has been discovered a remarkable 45 years after the film’s release.

Retired University of Winchester academic Alasdair Spark detailed the image’s discovery in an Instagram post by Getty. "Following facial recognition software's earlier identification of the unknown man at the end of The Shining as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer, I can confirm the photo was one of three taken by the Topical Press Agency at a St. Valentine's Day Ball on February 14, 1921, at the Empress Rooms in Kensington's Royal Palace Hotel," he explained. The post also featured a new scan from the original glass-plate negative, accompanied by handwritten documents verifying the photograph.

Spark shared that he, New York Times staffer Arick Toller, and numerous dedicated Redditors embarked on an extensive search to locate the image. "It initially seemed impossible; every cross-reference to Casani came up empty. Other suggested locations didn't match either," he wrote via Getty. "We began to worry the photograph might be lost to history forever."

The historian further noted that on-set photographer Murray Close, who captured the Nicholson image superimposed over Casani for the film, had previously informed him the picture originated from the BBC Hulton Library. Aware that Hulton acquired Topical Press in 1958 and Getty took over in 1991, Spark scoured the agency's vast archive. Their search revealed the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick's production company, on October 10, 1978—clearly for The Shining's production.

"Joan Smith claimed the photo dated from 1923, but Stanley Kubrick insisted it was from 1921—and he was correct," Spark concluded. "The photo doesn't feature any speculated celebrities like the Trix Sisters, nor the bankers, financiers, or presidents suggested by others such as Rob Ager. There are no devil worshippers either. Apart from Jack Nicholson's addition, it simply shows a group of ordinary Londoners enjoying a Monday evening. 'All the best people,' as the Overlook Hotel's manager remarked."

If this discovery doesn't warm the heart of every cinephile, what will? Stephen King's novel The Shining was published in 1977 and adapted twice: through Kubrick's iconic film and horror master Mick Garris' miniseries in 1997, which stayed faithful to the book.