turn-of-the-century crime scene photography

[zenith]

Hi friends--

I'm coming to a dead end in some research I've been doing, and was hoping some of you could help me. Aside from MJK's bedroom, I'm looking for LVP/Gilded Age/Fin de Siecle crime scene photos, from the UK or America either one. Do any of you know any notable cases in which such photos were taken? Can you recommend a site or source?

I thank you in advance.

[Mayerling]

Hi friends--

I'm coming to a dead end in some research I've been doing, and was hoping some of you could help me. Aside from MJK's bedroom, I'm looking for LVP/Gilded Age/Fin de Siecle crime scene photos, from the UK or America either one. Do any of you know any notable cases in which such photos were taken? Can you recommend a site or source?

I thank you in advance.

There was a book about a classic murder case, THE PELZER CASE, from Belgium that came out between 1920 and 1940. Armand Pelzer and his brother Leon murdererd Armand's rival (a lawyer named Guillaume Bernays) in an exceptionally well planned murder involving building up a fictitious man named "Harry Vaughn" who was an English representative planning a new shipping company. It was Leon in disguise as Vaughn who went around Europe arranging meetings of potentially interested investors, and in luring Bernays to a house where Bernays was shot and killed. For months the Belgian police and their friends in England, France, and Germany traced "Vaughn" but found nothing beyond his itinerary. However, when the case was rethought it was noticed that Leon's movements were not all accounted for, and the mystery got solved.

In the book on the case, there was a photograph of the crime scene and how Bernays was found dead in a chair. I only wish my description was better, and that the name of the author available to give to you.

Jeff

[Robert]

There's the Borden one.

[Mayerling]

I think that there were photos (morgue or site photos) of some of the victims of the "French Ripper" Joseph Vacher.

[Mayerling]

I found a site "Murderpedia" and it gives the crimes and trial results of many killers from around the world, some with illustrations. One is the 1899 trial of Louise Massett for the murder of her four year old son Manfred (whose body was found in a train station lavatory). There is a photo of the dead boy's body in that particular article about that murder.

Jeff

[Errata]

There was a book by the first criminologist in France, I know it had a lot of pictures in it as the MJK photos were resented to him for publishing. I can't for the life of me remember his name though.

[Mayerling]

There was a book by the first criminologist in France, I know it had a lot of pictures in it as the MJK photos were resented to him for publishing. I can't for the life of me remember his name though.

Hi Errata,

He was Dr. or Professor Lacassagne, who was (at the time) the foremost forensic expert in France and probably Europe. He did some notabe work identifying the remains (in a trunk) of Gouffe, the victim of Michel Eyraud and Gabrielle Bombarde in 1889, and in the catching of the "French Ripper" Joseph Vacher in 1896.

Jeff

[sdreid]

I have seen photos of the recovery efforts on the grounds of the Bloody Benders in 1873.

[Mayerling]

The name of the French criminologist was Professor Alexandre Lacassagne. His really good pioneer work got pushed into the shade due to the work of Alphonse Bertillon with his identification system at the same time.

Jeff

[Penny_Dredfull]

turn of the century crime scene photography

Yes- to add to what Errata and Mayerling have said- Alphonse Bertillon's crime scene photography is very important and interesting, but also very difficult to find. You can view some of the images online labelled as " Album of Paris crime scenes 1901-1908"- this consists of gelatin silver print photographs held by the Metropolitan museum of art. I viewed some of Bertillon's crime scene photos at the Museum of the Prefecture of Police in Paris. Apart from that, I know there is a book in English on the subject which reproduces many of the images, but can't think of the title or the author's name at the moment. I saw it in a bookstore in London years ago and almost bought it but ended up resisting it because of the steep price- I've been kicking myself ever since! When I come up with the Title and author I'll be sure to post it here.

[Penny_Dredfull]

turn of the century crime scene photography

OK- I've found the title and author of that book: Crime Album Stories: Paris 1886-1902 by Eugenia Parry. It was published by Scalo Publishers in 2000. Parry not only reproduces the photos but discusses the crimes they represent. Fascinating book, and I wish I had it myself!

[sdreid]

I have seen photos of the recovery efforts on the grounds of the Bloody Benders in 1873.

I suppose they would have to be taken at the behest of law enforcement to be properly defined as crime scene photos. In this instance, I don't know if that was the case. There's a lynching photo of John Heath from 1884 as well but I imagine it's not taken by a police photographer.

[Ginger]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m852r6GaHd1raj2eao1_500.png

The Parsons family, murdered in 1906, in Success Missouri. Not so much a crime scene, per se, as a posed post-mortem family portrait.

"This is a photograph of Carrie L. Parsons, wife and three children murdered by Joseph Hamilton about two miles east of Success, MO on Friday October the 12, 1906. Parsons had sold his crop to young Hamilton. On the day of the murder Parsons loaded his family in his wagon and started for Miller Co, MO when about two miles east of Success at what is known as the old Vance Place, he was murdered. The wagon was then driven into thicket of brush and left until about midnight that night when young Hamilton returned and drove to Piney River. There he threw all the bodies into the water , and two of the children were found by a fishing party within one hour after they were thrown in. Hamilton was arrested two days later trying to make his escape. He made a full confession of his crime and was hanged."

from http://mastersofcontrol.tumblr.com/p...parsons-family

http://www.millercountymuseum.org/ne...onsmurder.html has quite a bit more on the murder, and the trial and execution of the murderer.

*****

The page on Carrie Brown here has some photographs documenting her mutilations:

http://www.casebook.org/victims/carrie.html

*****

Edit: And, http://www.documentingreality.com/fo...92/index2.html has some truly horrifying closeups of Andrew and Abby Borden, even though the webmaster seems not to have clue #1 what they are.