Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation of "The Shining" is renowned for its chilling final scene, featuring a photograph from the Overlook Hotel’s 1921 Fourth of July ball. This image, which prominently features Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson), despite him not being born at the time, has long captivated audiences. The original photograph used in the film had faded into obscurity—until now. After 45 years since the movie's release, the original 1921 Fourth of July ball photograph has been discovered.

Alasdair Spark, a retired academic from the University of Winchester, shared the journey of finding this historic image on Getty's Instagram. He revealed that the photograph was identified by facial recognition software as featuring Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer. The image 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, the Royal Palace Hotel in Kensington. Spark's post also showcased a new scan from the image’s original glass-plate negative, accompanied by supporting handwritten documents.

Spark, along with New York Times staffer Arick Toller and enthusiastic Redditors, embarked on a challenging quest to locate the photograph. Despite numerous dead ends, the search seemed futile until Spark revisited a lead from on-set photographer Murray Close, who had mentioned the image was sourced from the BBC Hulton Library. Knowing that Hulton had acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty took over in 1991, Spark searched through Getty's extensive archives. This effort led to the discovery that the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick’s production company, on October 10, 1978, for use in "The Shining."

Spark clarified that the photograph dated from 1921, as Kubrick had correctly stated, not 1923 as Joan Smith had claimed. Contrary to various speculations, the photo did not feature any celebrities like the Trix Sisters, nor bankers, financiers, or presidents, and certainly no devil worshippers. The only alteration was the addition of Jack Nicholson. The image simply captured a group of ordinary Londoners enjoying a Monday evening, described by Spark as "all the best people," echoing the words of the Overlook Hotel's manager.

This discovery should delight fans of "The Shining." Stephen King's novel, released in 1977, has been adapted into two notable versions: Kubrick's iconic film and Mick Garris' 1997 miniseries, which stayed closer to the book.