DEATH
The tattooed foetus
Original 12,5 x 10 cm vintage print from Charles Gatewood signed, titled « Spider Webb’s tattooed fetus and dated 1980.Tear spread from the book « Forbidden Photographs » (27,3 x 21 cm) tells the story of that picture. inscribed and dated by Charles Gatewood. « The Tattoed Foetus » Spider Webb’s, famous tattoo artist and good friend of Gatewood, bought a jar containing a born dead foetus in formol. After breaking the jar, Spider Webb’s had the idea of tattooing a stylised hearth on the chest of the foetus. An other version of this famous image appear on the cover of Charles Gatewood’s most famous book « Forbidden Photographs ».
Monsieur Mange-tout
Death certificate of Dominique Lotito dead the 17th of april 2006 à 6.50PM in Grenoble France.Michel Lotito, known as Monsieur Mangetout, ate metal and glass from 1959 until his death. His diet since 1966 included 18 bicycles, 15 supermarket trolleys, seven TV sets, six chandeliers, two beds, a pair of skis, a low-calorie Cessna light aircraft and a computer. He is said to have provided the only example in history of a coffin (handles and all) ending up inside a man. By October 1997, he had eaten nearly nine tons of metal.
Car accident
Vintage print representing a car accident with inscription in ink « ma tuture » (my little car) inscribe in verso is a letter from Georges Narodetzki to a some girls he would like to meet once he will recover from his car accident. 11,5x17,5cm, circa 1920.
Telegram
Original telegram dated from 1934 announcing in very brief words the death of the mother that will be burried the following thursday. « maman décédée midi enterrement jeudi » 19,6x15cm.A same kind of telegram appears in the incipit of Albert Camus book « L’étranger » : « Aujourd’hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas. J’ai reçu un télégramme de l’asile : « Mère décédée. Enterrement demain. Sentiments distingués. » Cela ne veut rien dire. C’était peut-être hier. »
Grave stone letter
Type-writted letter from Jules Torres to a relative, dated 1920, in Bordeaux. 20,5 x 13,2 cm. Mr Torres is explaining in his letter that he investigate in order to find the best deal on a marble grave stone for his mother that just die. « The flowers that would cover the body of our mother until today would better suit her ideas and feelings than the marble, but unfortunatly those flowers are not eternal. »
To let
Homemade 10 x 10 cm street message advertising the sell of a collection of photographic cameras following the death of the photographer.
Concentration camp
3 medical certificate by Docteur Simon for Mister Moïse Klein. 20 x 13 cm. dated from 1963.Identity card14 x 11 cm and various paper belongings to Mister Moïse Klein.Docteur Simon certify in his document that Mister Klein suffers from psychic troubles, back pains, and digestive disorders directly caused by his time in a concentration camp during the war and the death of his two parents and his three brothers, all dead by shooting in Luthania during the WWII.
poisoning
Various letters dated from 1948 to 1950 in order to complain about a cacao powder that would not be similar as described on the box.A letter even state the person finally get ride of it giving it to her cat that almost die eating it.
Ottis Toole
Original 28 x 18 cm signed drawing from Ottis Toole with a 13 x 8,5 cm portrait of the serial killer.The drawing represent a decapitated head with and axe stuck at it top.Ottis Elwood Toole (March 5, 1947 – September 15, 1996) aka the « Jacksonville Canibal » was an American drifter and serial killer who was convicted of six counts of murder. Like his companion Henry Lee Lucas, Toole made confessions he later recanted, but which resulted in murder convictions. The discrediting of the case against Lucas for crimes in which Toole had offered corroborating statements created doubts as to whether either was a genuine serial killer or, as Hugh Aynesworth suggested, both were merely compliant interviewees whom police used to clear unsolved murders from the books. Toole received two death sentences, but on appeal they were commuted to life imprisonment. He died in his cell from cirrhosis, aged 49. Police attributed the murder of Adam Walsh to Toole on the basis of recanted statements. Lucas had backed Toole's confession to the Walsh murder, claiming he had been in possession of the victim's severed head. Ottis Toole is best know for telling a journalist his homemade BBQ sauce:« You can write it your story that anyone who wants to write me and get a recipe for my home made sauce, I'll send it free. Just send a few stamps for the reply letter. That's all honey." Ottis Toole's BBQ sauce recipe (ideal with human flesh) - 1 cup of blood - 1/2 can tomato puree - 2 cloves of garlics - 1?4 cup vinegar - 1 1/2 tsp. salt - 1 cup fresh Jallapeno peppers - 1 /2 cup mushrooms - 1/6 cup vinegar. »