Townes view

It is taken with the patient in the supine position and lying on his back with the chin often depressed into the neck. 

The X-ray camera is angled at 30 degrees towards the feet so that the rays enter the head at the level of the hair-line.

The result is clear image of the posterior portion of the skull including the foramen magnum.

A reversed Towne's view is obtained by taking the radiograph from the posterior with the patient lying face down.

The stuctures that are demonstrated in Town's view are

Details of occipital bone(1)

Lambdoid suture (2)

Outline of Foramen magnum (3)

Dorsum Sellae (4) (White shadow in the foramen magnum)

Occipital crest (5)

Some of the details of the temporal bone like petrous ridge are also identified (1)