Stephen Wiltshire was 11 years old when he drew a perfect aerial view of London, England, after only one helicopter ride. Even the number of windows in the major buildings was accurate. This level of photographic memory could be a comic book supernormal power!
He has since drawn similar panoramas of New York City, Tokyo, and other cities after helicopter rides overhead. Able to hold all the details in his mind, he has been called a “living camera.” Wiltshire is autistic, and he didn’t speak his first word until he was 5 years old.
For 55 minutes, Wiltshire was flown in helicopter over Rome. Afterward, back in a studio, he drew a vast expanse of the city with accuracy in even the small buildings and side streets. His drawing of the Colosseum, done without any photographic aid, was so precise it was practically a blueprint.
Some minor details on the roof of the Pantheon were inaccurate, but the number of columns and other details were correct. Overall, the precision was astounding.
