Joe Nickell (1944-2025), a skeptic and researcher, was known for his work investigating paranormal claims and religious artifacts. He created a "Shroud of Bing" for his book Inquest on the Shroud of Turin, which was published in 1983.
Nickell started with a bas-relief of Bing Crosby (top images). A bas-relief is a shallow sculpture that resembles a three-dimensional painting. He then rubbed pigments of myrrh and aloes onto the bas-relief and pressed it onto cloth to create the image.
The purpose of this experiment was to show that the image on the Shroud of Turin could be created through a similar process, rather than by supernatural means.
The "Shroud of Bing" exhibited many of the same characteristics as the Shroud of Turin, including a life-like image when viewed as a photographic negative (bottom right image). Nickell noted that the image he produced, while visually similar to the Shroud, lacked the same clarity and resolution. Nevertheless, Nickell maintained that his experiment demonstrated a plausible, non-miraculous method for creating such an image, supported by historical evidence like a 14th-century bishop’s report of a forger’s confession.