top of page


Five Stages Of Inebriation By Charles Percy Pickering
This photo series shows a model in a studio re-enacting the five stages of inebriation. The shoot, which coincided with the Drunkard Punishment Bill of 1886 in NSW, was possibly commissioned by a local temperance group for education purposes. The photographer Charles Pickering took the photographs between 1863 and 1868, when society clearly felt it had a problem with alcoholism. It appears, things have not changed that much since the mid-19th century. Stage 1: You’ve had a


The Story Behind the First Photograph of an Electric Chair Execution in 1928
The photograph of Ruth Snyder's execution in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison on January 12, 1928, remains one of the most infamous...


Las Poquianchis: The Dark Tale of the González Valenzuela Sisters
In 1964, the González Valenzuela sisters, known as Las Poquianchis, were arrested in Guanajuato, Mexico, for operating a human trafficking and murder ring that claimed the lives of over 90 women and children. Their crimes remain among the darkest chapters in Mexican history.


The Portraiture of William Bullard: Photographing a Community of Colour
c. 1904 Portrait of the Thomas A. and Margaret Dillon Family. Virginia-born coachman Thomas A. Dillon and his wife, Margaret, a domestic servant and native of Newton, Massachusetts, pose in the parlour of their home at 4 Dewey Street with children Thomas, Margaret, and Mary. A poster on the wall commemorates President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to the Worcester Agricultural Fair in 1902. In the pantheon of early 20th-century American photography, William Bullard holds a uniq


The Tragedy of Oradour-sur-Glane: The Slaughter of an Entire Town
The stories remembered from World War II are fraught with tales of human suffering and atrocities that defy comprehension. Among these is the heart-wrenching massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane, a tranquil village in France, whose name has since become synonymous with the horrors of war and the depths of human cruelty. On the 10th of June, 1944, the village was engulfed in an unimaginable tragedy that saw 642 men, women, and children ruthlessly killed by the German Waffen SS. This


Amelia Dyer: The Serial Killer And Baby Farmer.
Discover the chilling tale of Amelia Dyer, the notorious Victorian baby farmer turned serial killer. Uncover the macabre narrative and her horrifying crimes.


Master Sergeant John C. Woods: The Controversial Executioner of the Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials, held from 1945 to 1946, were a seminal moment in the annals of justice, where the principal architects of the Nazi...


A Brutal End: Unravelling the Jodi Arias–Travis Alexander Case
On the night of 4 June 2008, the home of 30-year-old motivational speaker and salesman Travis Alexander became the site of a crime that would fascinate, horrify, and divide the public for years. Found dead in his shower with over 25 stab wounds, a slit throat, and a gunshot wound to the head, Alexander’s murder launched one of the most televised and discussed trials in American criminal history. At the centre of it all was his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias. This is a case that is


The Farmhouse On 84th Street and Broadway
Many of us have likely walked past the site where this old farmhouse once stood, unaware of its existence or historical significance. In the latter half of the 18th century, Manhattan’s upper regions were dotted with a mixture of working farms and elegant country estates. One such farmhouse stood on a rocky knoll, roughly halfway between the Hudson River and Bloomingdale Road (which later became the Boulevard and then Broadway), at what would later be 84th Street. Originally,


The O’Halloran Sisters, Armed With Poles And Boiling Water, Fought For Their Land Against The Army
Residing in the tranquil countryside of Bodyke, County Clare, the O'Halloran sisters – Annie, Honoria, and Sarah – shared their familial...


Marianne Bachmeier, The Mother Who Shot Her Child’s Killer In The Middle Of His Trial
Marianne Bachmeier’s story is one of love, loss, and a mother’s desperate need for justice—an act that gripped a nation and sparked an...


The Zoot Suit Riots: A Complex Interlude in American History
The Zoot Suit Riots, a series of violent clashes in Los Angeles during the summer of 1943, remain a poignant reminder of racial and...


Frantisek Kotzwara: The Composer's Death and One of the First Recorded Cases of Death by Erotic Asphyxiation
(H)ang me up at the door of a brothel-house William Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing (1.1.226-227) Frantisek Kotzwara, also spelled as František Kočvara, was a Czech composer and double bassist born around 1730. He was a musician of considerable repute during his time, particularly known for his composition "The Battle of Prague," which became a popular piece in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Kotzwara traveled extensively across Europe, playing in various orchestras a


John Jones: The Little Welsh Terror – Wales’ Own Houdini
Scroll down for this article in Cymraeg The story of John Jones, also known by many names—Little Turpin, Little Welsh Terror, Coch Bach Y...


Dr. Lewis Sayre: Pioneering Excellence in Spinal Health
In the continually evolving landscape of medical science, spinal health stands as a particularly dynamic and complex field. Among the leading lights in this domain is Dr. Lewis Sayre, a distinguished physician whose pioneering work has indelibly transformed the treatment and management of back pain. Dr. Sayre's foray into the medical profession was underpinned by a profound interest in the human musculoskeletal system. His academic journey began at Cambridge University, where


Carmadean’s Dance Camp: A Summer in the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb
Thirteen-year-old Barbara Kent (centre) and her fellow campers play in a river near Ruidoso, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, in the hours after the bomb’s detonation. Fallout flakes drifted down that day and for days afterward. ‘We thought [it] was snow,’ Kent says. ‘But the strange thing, instead of being cold like snow, it was hot.’ In the summer of 1945, as the world teetered on the edge of monumental change, a small dance camp in the desert near Ruidoso, New Mexico, was unk


Meet The Emperor Of The United States of America, Also Known As Joshua Abraham Norton
To list all the odd characters who have wandered the streets of San Francisco would require the combined talents of Shakespeare, Dickens,...


Frostbit Boy Ruairí McSorley: Where Is He Now?
The story of Ruairí McSorley, the frostbit lad from Northern Ireland


Blanche Monnier: The Lady That Was Imprisoned By Her Family In Her Room For 25 Years
In the tapestry of history, there are threads so dark and disturbing that they leave an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of a society. The story of Blanche Monnier is one such thread, woven with elements of unimaginable cruelty and profound human suffering. Blanche's ordeal, hidden away from the world for a quarter of a century, shocked France to its core when it was finally revealed. This is a tale of familial betrayal, societal neglect, and the enduring human


Harvey Milk: A Legacy of Courage and Change
Harvey Milk, an iconic figure in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, was a trailblazing politician whose life and work continue to inspire activists around the world. His journey from a small-town boy to one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States is a story of perseverance, advocacy, and tragic loss. Early Life and Background Harvey Bernard Milk was born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, New York, to Lithuanian Jewish parents. Growing up in a modest, middle-class


The Battle of the Granicus: Alexander's First Step Towards Conquering Persia
Throughout military history, few encounters have resonated with the same enduring significance as the Battle of the Granicus. Fought in...


The Tragic Tale of Leopold and Loeb: Crime and Consequence
The names Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb have become synonymous with the chilling and macabre narrative of youthful transgression in early 20th-century America. Their story, a gruesome chapter in the annals of criminal history, continues to fascinate and horrify in equal measure. Backgrounds: Prodigies Bound for Infamy Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. was born on November 19, 1904, in Chicago , Illinois, to a wealthy German-Jewish family. A child prodigy with an IQ reportedly


The Murders At 10 Rillington Place And The Demise Of The Death Penalty
Uncover the dark history of 'The Murders At 10 Rillington Place' and the pivotal role it played in the demise of the death penalty in Britain.
bottom of page

