The Love Letters painting has been dubbed one of the most haunted paintings in the world, and it is best known for its connection to Austin’s Driskill Hotel.

Samantha Houston, a four-year-old girl, is said to have chased her ball down the grand stairs before tripping and falling to her death. People believe that this painting was then hung on the hotel’s fifth floor as a memorial to her.

The truth is that this isn’t Samantha at all; it’s a modern-day replica by Richard King of a work titled “Love Letters” that was actually painted by Charles Trevor Garland (1855-1906). It’s possible that the painting was brought because the little girl in the picture looked like Samantha, but it’s most definitely not her.

When this painting was hung on the fifth floor of the hotel, visitors reported feeling dizzy, nauseous, and having strange sensations such as being lifted off the ground. Others have claimed that the girl in the painting has attempted to communicate with them, as evidenced by her changing expression.

Another haunting story associated with this painting is that the original painting was painted by Charles Trevor Garland after he saw a little girl holding flowers and a letter for her father, who was a soldier in the American Civil War and never returned. This story is also doubtful because Garland was British and only ten years old when the war ended.

For years, it appears that people have been attempting to pin a haunting story to this painting, but why…? Have many people had many experiences with replicas they’ve had over the years?

What happened to the original? – I can’t find the original Love letter painting.

Reports from people who have contacted us about this painting!

In 2016, my friend and I went to an antique shop to look for potential items that we felt had energy.

When I passed by this painting, I knew there was a story to be told about it. I was immediately drawn to it. I had never seen this picture before, so I decided to look it up: ‘little girl holding flowers painting.’ When I did, I was astounded to find the above-mentioned story on a haunted history website. At this point, I assumed it was a copy of the painting in Austin’s Driskill Hotel, but we decided to buy it anyway because of the emotional attachment I felt to it.

I went home, left the picture with a fellow investigator I’d met at the antiques shop, and forgot about it. That week, I bought a large devil’s toy box, and we were watching to see if anything appeared in it. It hadn’t, except for the burn I did on the upper mirror because I decided to put a candle in the box and close it up (silly me). After about an hour at home, I received a message from this investigator stating that a question mark had appeared in the Devil’s Toy box that wasn’t there before, and that it had only appeared since the love letter painting was brought into the room!

Weeks passed and nothing happened with that specific painting, but a lady contacted to say that her grandma had this painting and that she believed it was making her grandma sick. She stated that her grandmother would wake up in the middle of the night and begin conversing with the painting, and that the painting was bad. During this time, her grandmother suffered a stroke, which the family suspected was related to the painting. They wanted to get rid of the painting and offered to send it to us, which we accepted.

A few months later, some of the team attended the Horrorcon convention, and a lady approached the stall to say she had this specific painting and had never liked it, and she, too, believed it caused her mother to have strokes. At this point, we requested that the lady document it in writing for us.

I now own two of the three paintings. The one I was drawn to and the one we were given at the Horrorcon convention.

I haven’t had any interactions with them yet, but….

The entire reason I researched this painting is because I have seen a large number of people comment on posts and articles about it, which has piqued my interest over the years.

I researched this painting because a large number of people commented on posts and articles about it, which piqued my interest over the years.

One lady in our group today said that it also creeped her out, that her kids hated it, and that the events surrounding it stressed her out so much that she blames her current health condition on it. She stated that she despised it and would never see it again.

Another lady private messaged me and asked not to be identified, so the full conversation cannot be shown. She stated that when this painting was purchased from a carboot sale and placed in the house, 3-4 weeks later family members began to pass away.

She then stated that it was removed from the house after her grandfather, who also had a stroke while it was present, died of cancer and that everything has been fine since then.

I came across a comment while researching the artist.

So what are my thoughts about this Love letters replica painting?

I believe the reports are very similar to the well-known ‘Crying Boy Picture,’ though the reports with these pictures were only reports from replicas of the originals. The main report with the ‘Crying Boy’ picture was house fires, and that is classified as a cursed painting, and most houses would not have one in.

Using love letters The main public report for this image is that at the Austins Driskill Hotel, which believes that this is the only painting with something about it… But based on what I’ve seen and what people have said, I have to disagree, and I believe it could be the actual image of the girl that has something to do with it, and it may even be cursed like the crying boy image legend.

Have you ever been anywhere where this painting has been? Have you ever experienced anything around it. Please let us know.