S2 Ep2: Dollhouses of Death, Forensic Science, and Close Looking

Emma and Christy look at Frances Glessner Lee’s Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death (c. 1940s) AKA dollhouses of death. We talk Victorian children and dollplay; the origins of legal medicine; CSI as visual analysis; Barbies and buzzcuts; girlbossing on the police force; busybodies, gender, and the history of policing; class voyeurism; contemporary art and crime scene photography; Sherlock Holmes; and the afterlives of evidence.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE IMAGES WE DISCUSS, as well as complete show notes, references, and suggestions for further reading.

MEDIA DISCUSSED
Frances Glessner Lee, 'Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death' (VR experience) (c. 1940s)
Frances Glessner Lee, 'Living Room' and details ('Body' and 'Cigarettes') (c. 1943–48)
Frances Glessner Lee, 'Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Detail)' (c. 1930s)
Narcissa Niblack Thorne, 'Thorne Miniature Rooms' (c. 1930s)
Ben Shahn, 'The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti' (1931–32)
The Scarpetta House
Frances Glessner Lee, 'Red Bedroom' and detail (c. 1944–48)
Frames Glessner Lee, 'Parsonage Parlor' and detail (c. 1946–48)
Pre-Raphaelite painting: William Holman Hunt, 'The Awakening Conscience' (1853)
Angela Strassheim, 'Evidence (Kitchen Knife 2)' (2009)
Angela Strassheim, 'Evidence (Pistol 1)' (2009)
Angela Strassheim, 'Evidence No. 8' (2009)
Angela Strassheim, Left Behind series, 'Untitled (Horses)' (2004)
Paul Seawright, Sectarian Murder series, 'Tuesday 3rd April 1973' (1988)
Stephen Chalmers, 'Unmarked' Series (c. 2010)

CREDITS
This season of ‘Drawing Blood’ was funded in part by the Association for Art History.
Follow our Twitter @drawingblood_
Audio postproduction by Sias Merkling
‘Drawing Blood’ cover art © Emma Merkling
All audio and content © Emma Merkling and Christy Slobogin
Intro music: ‘There Will Be Blood’ by Kim Petras, © BunHead Records 2019. We’re still trying to get hold of permissions for this song – Kim Petras text us back!!