The Love letters painting is dubbed one of the most haunted paintings in the world and is most known for its history connected to Austins Driskill Hotel.
The story goes that a young girl of 4 named Samantha Houston chased her ball down the grand stairs and tripped and fell to her death. People think that this painting was then hung up on the fifth floor of the hotel as a tribute to her.
The truth is, this isn’t Samantha at all, this painting was a modern day replica of by Richard King of a work entitied ”Love Letters” actually painted by Charles Trevor Garland (1855-1906). It is quite possible that the painting may have been brought because the little girl in the picture looked like Samantha but it most certainly isn’t her at all.
When this picture was hung up on the fifth floor of the hotel, people reported feeling dizzy around the painting, nauseous and having strange sensations like being lifted off the ground. Others have said that the girl in the painting has tried to communicate with them and her expression changes.
Another haunting tale associated to this painting is that the Artist Charles Trevor Garland painted the original painting after seeing a little girl who was holding flowers and a letter for her father who was a soldier in the American Civil War and her father never returned. This story is also most likely not true because Garland was British and only 10 years old when the war ended.
It would seem people have been trying to pin a haunting story on this painting for years but why…? have many experience things with replicas they have had in their possession over the years?
and where is the original? – I can not find where the original Love letter painting is.
Reports from people who have came to us regarding this painting!
Myself and another went to a antiques shop in 2016 to look for potential items that we felt may have an energy to them.
I passed this picture and immediately I felt that there was a story to tell about this painting. I felt extremely drawn to it. At this point, I had never seen this picture before and at this point I decided to google ‘little girl holding flowers painting’. When I did I was shocked to see the story as stated above on a haunted history site. At this point, I thought this was just a replica of that painting located at Austins Driskill Hotel, but we decided to buy it anyways because of the feeling I had towards it.
I went home and left the picture with a fellow investigator I had been to the antiques shop with and thought nothing more of it. That week I had purchased a huge devils toy box and we had been monitoring to see if anything had appeared in it. It hadn’t, only the burn I did on the upper mirror because I had decided to put a candle in the box and shut it up (silly me). After about a hour of being at home, I received a message from this investigator stating that a question mark had appeared in the Devils Toy box and it wasn’t there earlier, it had only since appeared since the love letter painting was brought into the room!
Weeks passed and nothing really happened with that specific painting but a lady contacted to say that her grandma had this painting and she felt the painting was making her grandma poorly. She stated that her grandma would get up in the night and start talking to the painting and her grandma reported that the painting was bad. Her grandma had a stroke during this time and the family all thought it may have had something to do with the Painting. They wanted the Painting gone and offered to send it to us, which we accepted.
A few months later, some of the team at the time did a Horrorcon convention and a lady came to the stall to say she had this specific painting and she had never liked it and she too believed it caused her mum to have strokes. At this point we asked the lady to document it this in writing for us.
I now own 2 of the 3 of these paintings. The one I felt drawn to and the last one given to us at the Horrorcon convention.
Myself, I have experienced nothing with them up to yet but….
The whole reason I have researched this painting is because there is vast amounts of people who I have seen comment on posts and articles about this painting which as interested me over the years.
Many who have owned this painting report it as creeped them out when they entered a room its been in. Some have reported it gave them nothing but bad luck as soon as it entered the house and when they removed it the bad luck seem to go.
One lady stated in our group today that it also creeped her out, her kids hated it and the events that occurred around it, stressed her out that much she blames her current health condition on it. She stated she hated it and binned it and never wanted to see another again.
Another lady private messaged me who wished to not be named therefore can not show the full conversation, stated that when this painting entered the house purchased from a carboot sale,3-4 weeks later family members started to pass.
She then stated that it was removed from the house after her grandad who also had a stroke when it was present, passed from cancer and since then all as been ok.
Even when researching the artist, I came across a comment.
So what are my thoughts
I think the reports of it are very similar to the well known ‘Crying Boy Picture’, again the reports with these pictures were only reports that came from replicas of the originals. With the ‘Crying boy’ picture the main report was house fires and that is classed as a cursed painting and most house holds wouldnt have one in.
With love letters the main report for this picture in the public eye is that at the Austins Driskill Hotel deeming that this is the only painting that has something about it…but with what ive seen and from what people have come forward to say, I have to disagree and I have to say I think it could be the actual image of the girl that could have something about it and it may even be cursed like the crying boy image legend.
Have you ever been anywhere where this picture has been? Have you ever experienced anything around it. Please let us know.
It looks like there planning demolition soon
Sorry i didnt mean to scare lol, alot report the same a feeling of being uneasy around it too so you are most certainly not on your own, even though you havent had anything happen. Thank you for reading 🙂
I have had this picture since I was a little girl someone saw it and thought it looked just like me… it hung in my bedroom for years and I would lay in bed and my bed would gently shake I’d feel heat and static come close to me like I was being touched, my desk chair would slowly spin. There is such a negative feeling around this picture of just un easiness and I’ve suffered from years of headaches and dizziness. Well I just pulled things out of storage and it was in a box And now my sons been saying he’s scared of the house all of a sudden. Haha if y’all want this picture I’ll gladly send it.
I still have my photo of the little girl with the love letter Everyone in my family hates it I love it I think she’s so beautiful but everyone else is scared of it and I will not take it down I love my photo
I have this picture in my bathroom😯 My son always says why do i have it it looks kreepy lol! I always mess with my boys and say shes my little girl lol!
By the way, Your team did say there was a little girl they seen here, maybe it’s her😉
Sandy
Hey sandy when did we come round trying to recall and who from the team said they felt a girl was there.
Last night I was watching a Mathew santoro Video about haunted painting and one looks familiar to I got up at two AM and went to my living room to find this picture along with another creepy one my wife brought home, so cant the copies be cursed too?
A lot report activity with the copies
I have the same painting in my house it’s in my mother’s room who had passed from Alzheimer’s it’s been in the house since we moved in Everytime I go in the room and look at the painting it creeps me out i swear the eyes move even a few friends had said the same thing that they see the eyes move
My Great Aunt and Uncle of whom I was very close with had one hanging in their house. I don’t know if it is an original or not but I do know it’s been there for years. I was always fascinated by this painting ever since I was younger. Like it seemed to draw me in to it somehow. So Back then I looked it up because I have always been infatuated with anything haunted. And every time I would pass the picture I had to look at it and tell everyone the haunted speculation that I had read about it. So the family has had very bad luck. But I do not know if this is any coincidence. My Great Aunt and Uncle have recently passed. In their late 70s and 80s. So a family friend has been cleaning the house and asked me if I wanted the painting that I never shut up about. So I now have it in my possession. I am a lil creeped out just because what people say about it. But I think all paintings can have strange stories about them. But I will burn some sage.and hope for the best. But I may not keep it , we will see.
My great grandparents have had this painting hanging in their living room for as long as I can remember and sadly they have both passed away now, and I will be receiving this picture soon. My name is Samantha, even though this girls name may not be, I remember standing a staring at the paining for long periods at a time as a child until someone would stop me and ask if I was alright. Strange but I have a attachment to this painting and have no idea why, i only found out a few years ago about the Origins of this painting as well.
I have this exact painting, it was my great grandmothers. Now I’m scared lol.
i have this painting in my house, we always hear a little girl talking and such around our home… but there has never been a young girl who has lived in our house. this painting always gave me nightmares and made me feel uneasy. i thought it was just me, it’s good to know i’m not alone
so where is the origional, and why would it be in texas, the Driskill hotel has a copy not the real thing. so does anyone know where it is I wonder?
Nobody seems to know, I’ve looked and looked and looked and cant find anything on it.
I know where it is and where it had been for years
My mum has this on her wall in the living room,she has had it for years it came from an antique dealer and Is an oil painting. My mum said she felt a connection to it that’s why she bought it.she says it is haunted and that the girls name is Gabriella,she hears her cry sometimes.she buys her a Christmas present every year,crazy?I thought so too until my dad who is the sanest person I know backed her up saying that one Christmas my mum forgot to buy her a present,she was talking to my dad about it and next thing she felt a pain on her arm,she looked and saw small teeth Mark’s where it appeared she had been bitten by a small child, my dad saw them too.
Also before I knew my mum had this painting I went to a car boot sale, something drew me to a particular stall and I saw a lovely print of a little girl with flowers and a letter in her hand, I said…my mum would like that, so I bought it.that night I kept hearing a little girl crying,thinking it was my daughter I went to check but every time I checked her she was fast asleep.
I took it to my mums the next day and told her about the crying and she replied yes thats Gabriella…I have the original oil painting,she showed it me,I couldn’t believe it…I do believe strange things happen with this painting.
My mum said she would never get rid of her,she likes her too much.
I have the painting Love letter replica of Samantha Houston, She’s hanging in my room, it was left behind by the previous owner of this house, I didn’t know anything about it until I came across a video on the most haunting paintings and mine showed up, we have experienced hauntings in this house, things thrown on the floor, items missing then returned, nausea, dizziness I had no idea that this painting might be the cause, I would like to get rid of it now, but how? Would anyone want it? Should I sell it? But for how much?
Where abouts do you live, I have two currently located with me that I keep locked up. If you are willing to send it me I will take it from you.
I had this picture my daughter gave it to me.She thought it was weird I hung it in the kitchen now I not sure what happened to it .
I have a replica of this painting and nada, nothing I saw it in an antique store felt a connection and fell in love. It hangs in my bedroom about my bed I’ve had it for 3 years now and nothing but good luck has happend.
We have one and my mom was drawn to it at an antique shop and she bought it for 35$ and it is hanging in our living room. Everyone that sees it says it’s creepy and they do not like it. I have not experienced anything bad. I guess my family wants us to sale it.
I think I actually have the Charles Trevor Garland original of Love Letters. Or so I was told. I still have it hanging in my living room.
O wow, would u mind emailing me a picture of it at all x
I don’t think so. I know where the signed in 1889 is.
Okies, are you keeping it secret 🙂
yes, keeping it a secret for now.
There’s alot of secrets out there isn’t there L 😏🙃😘
I too have a replica. It was my Mom’s. She since has passed and my sister ended up getting it. Her husband and kids were freaked out by it, so they wouldn’t hang it in the house. When I moved here to take care of my sister I came across it in the garage. It brought back fond memories of my mother who died of Huntington’s disease. My brother and my sister now have Huntington’s disease and I have a sister that passed from Huntington’s at age 42. I’m sure this picture has nothing to do with this hereditary disease. But it gave me fond memories of my mom and my family growing up and times were better. So I hung it in the spare bedroom that I use for a walk-in closet along with my two family portraits that are so old my boyfriend won’t let me hang them anywhere but the walk-in closet or the spare bedroom. I’m not going to lie I can’t nor do I think that the occurrences in my house has anything to do with this picture. But no doubt I am having some strange occurrences in my house especially with my animals. Nothing scary unless you’re scared of that stuff but definitely how do I say “mischievous”.Somethings someone somewhere hiding things taking things and putting them back sometimes interesting that’s all I can say. I love this picture I won’t take it down I’m not afraid of it I don’t think that anything that’s going on in my home has to do with the photograph for the painting but somethings there. But thank you I love seeing this.
My Nan owned this and died from a stroke in Dec 2000, my Mum then had it and died from a stroke in March 2003, then my Aunt Jean took it and died from a stroke in November 2018.
Thank you for your comments, where is the painting now x
It was given to a house clearance company. None of us wanted to take it.
Thank you and can’t blame you, I’ve had so many report the same thank u for sharing x
I have this painting too.. I bought it from a charity shop.. it has a beautiful dark walnut frame and gold trimming around it. I love it but my husband won’t let me put it up,he says it freaks him out so it’s sat in my spare room behind the settee. I have never felt any bad goings on with it but as I read comments and away to move to a new home i am a bit reluctant to take it with me if it brings bad feelings and bad things with it. Thanks.
I purchased a picture at a yard sale. It was screaming take me home. So I did. My mom always said it looked like me as a child. The original is from 1889
I believed I have the original Charles Trevor Garland Love letters.
Wendy Hall
You are the second person to say this, what makes you think that xx
Hello,I’m a paranormal investigator with over 30 years of experience and a psychic medium,I have this painting in my bedroom,right by my head,I love the painting,never had anything negative from it at all
Thank u, I get so many that do so nice to hear stories of those who are mediums who don’t x
Quite a few whose Posts are shown above refer to having a “painting “. I believe most of those are prints or posters made by some process other than paint applied directly to , canvas, paper, or other material. Please, look to check whst you have. If it is perfectly flat snd on paper it is a print. Or could be a watercolor but you would probably see brushstrokes. The original would likely been oil paint on canvas. Though it is possible other artists made vopies by p by painting them with oil on canvas, they would be a very time consuming process and it unlikely that there are dozens of these scattered around. Please try to be clear about whst you have.
My mother has had this print hanging in the living room for over 10 years now. My siblings and I all receive eerie feelings when looking at it. Earlier today my sister and I were discussing the painting, wondering if the little girl was a ghost, or if she appeared to be happy or upset. We even noticed that the name “Sam” is written on the back. Following the conversation I did a Google image search and found many results of the painting being haunted as well as the supposed name of the girl portrayed “Samantha”. We have definitely experienced items dissappearing, door handles shaking, as well as nausea and dizziness when sitting in the room. After reading many of the stories out there I think it may be time to give Sam a new home.. Lol
Hiya, I have somehow over the years achieved a little collection of love letters painting which I store away so they can’t hurt anyone. If you want to send it me your welcome too. If you message me on Facebook Charlene Lowe kemp I can have a word with you on there. Xx
I recently purchased a print of this painting at a second hand store near where I live. I sat it atop my desk while I surveyed the perfect spot for it. I am an artist and my living room has a many different genres of art of which I proudly have created and display.
Later that evening, I walked toward my kitchen and out the corner of my eye, I saw her beautiful/ innocent face take on a more almost angry grimace and her eyes looked the opposite way from where I was.
Im not one to put much into “ghost stories” but I am a former foster mother and I recognized what I saw. I stepped back in front of her, kneeled to the floor and as I looked up to make contact, the grimace was replaced once again with that angelic smile. I returned the smile and said, “It’s ok, baby girl. You are welcome and safe here. I’m just trying to find the PERFECT spot for you.”
I then went into the kitchen and almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a rattling type noise followed by a dull thud.
Entering the living room once again, I fell to the floor in astonishment when I saw the print lying at the bottom of the stairs that lead to my second floor. She now is displayed proudly on the wall she chose.
Thanks for sharing dina, I’m glad you chose the wall she wanted. Do you feel OK with it being up? Many feel a connection that they need to look after it xx
Ive had a few friends tell me they’re uncomfortable with where she is but as I reminded them… My home. 😉
I personally have had no issues
Hi, I think I might have found the original of this painting. It’s definitely not a print but it could be a reproduction I’m not sure. It’s currently hanging in marinoto house on the grounds of mercy hospital in Dunedin New Zealand