The Murder Room and More

An interesting point of where literature and criminology intersect:  From The Murder Room:  “But it was Vidocq’s remarkable story of redemption and his belief in the redemption of others that touched Fleischer most deeply. The chief cop of Paris was a great friend of the poor and said he would never arrest a man for stealing bread to feed his family.   Vidocq was Hugo’s model for Javert, the relentless detective in Les Miserables, as well as for Valjean, the excon who reforms and seeks redemption for  his deeds” (Capuzzo 135).  Vidocq was a criminal who became a detective, and who formed an agency even before Pinkerton.  He is considered a father of modern criminology.  This well researched book by Michael Capuzzo tells the story of The Vidocq Society, named in his honor, and of three remarkable criminologists who lead the pack of those who would solve the most unsolvable of crimes.

Frank Bender is one of the experts and members featured. He was a forensic artist who built busts out of mere remnants of bones found of victims.  He also created busts of suspects.  His work reminded me of sculpting dolls in many ways, albeit macabre ways.  Also, dolls make appearances here and there.

In another strange interlude involving dolls on Instagram, two Greek dolls appeared on a "haunted" doll store Instagram page.  The dolls were the Amalia, or woman wearing the Greek National costume named for the first modern Queen of Greece, Amalia, who also designed the outfit.  The Male doll was the Evzon, Chollia, or Greek soldier who still guard the royal palace in Athens.

The dolls have silk painted faces over a mask, and a wire armature with plastic limbs.  Two of these dolls started my own collection; my mother gave them to me when I was three.  They had belonged to my grandparents.

One commentator said the dolls had "evil," negative vibes, perhaps containing the auras of sexual predators!  What rubbish!!  People need to stop this nonsense!  These were vintage dolls representing another culture, which happened to be mind.  I identified the dolls, and also commented that my people, Greeks, are not predators, especially not the kind describe.  People are just sick and wrong sometimes.