“Eye-opening biography of Frances Glessner Lee, who brought American medical forensics into the scientific age…genuinely compelling.”—Kirkus Reviews “A captivating portrait of a feminist hero and forensic pioneer.” —BooklistThe story of a woman whose ambition and accomplishments far exceeded the expectations of her time, 18 Tiny Deaths follows the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite … the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite into the mother of modern forensics…
Frances Glessner Lee, born a socialite to a wealthy and influential Chicago family in the 1870s, was never meant to have a career, let alone one steeped in death and depravity.
Yet she developed a fascination with the investigation of violent crimes, and made it her life’s work. Best known for creating the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of dollhouses that appear charming—until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then, of course, there are the bodies—splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs—clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins.
18 Tiny Deaths, by official biographer Bruce Goldfarb, delves into Lee’s journey from grandmother without a college degree to leading the scientific investigation of unexpected death out of the dark confines of centuries-old techniques and into the light of the modern day.
Lee developed a system that used the Nutshells dioramas to train law enforcement officers to investigate violent crimes, and her methods are still used today.
18 Tiny Deaths transports the reader back in time and tells the story of how one woman, who should never have even been allowed into the classrooms she ended up teaching in, changed the face of science forever.
more
The Nutshells of Unexplained Death have been on my radar for years. I first read a magazine article about them and sent it to my mum because she is a doll’s house maker and we both love crime fiction. Fast-forward to 2017 and she is on a visit to us in the States at the same time as the Nutshells were on a rare display in D.C. Of course we visited and were completely captivated.
For that reason we both bought 18 Tiny Deaths as soon as it came out. Although my interest in Frances Glessner Lee was prompted by her nutshells, I found the whole book fascinating – from the limits on her early life because she was female (and too wealthy to work), to her ups and downs with Harvard’s administration, to her determination and extraordinary attention to detail in everything she did.
Bruce Goldfarb’s writing is smooth and engaging. For me this is an important book, recognizing Lee’s work and significance in the development of crime investigation and forensics in the USA.
Frances Glessner Lee is such a fascinating subject and a detailed biography is long overdue, so first and foremost thank you to Bruce Goldfarb for recognizing this and taking the time to craft such a detailed and homage-laden book. I first learned about Captain Lee in the book Savage Appetites – a very intriguing collection of brief biographies of four women “obsessed with” (the subtitle’s words, not mine) murder. It was a fantastic introduction to Lee and the Nutshells, and it set the hook for my interest in her life. When I saw Goldfarb’s biography on NetGalley I immediately requested it and upon approval I couldn’t wait to dig in…
Lee is a fascinating character and her story is a marvelous example of how one woman refused to be told no. Her tale is inspirational and her role in forensics is indisputable. Goldfarb does a marvelous job describing her role in the development of the modern field of forensic medicine, covering in equal measure her life and involvement as well as the obstacles that repeatedly popped into her path and her ceaseless efforts to overcome them through generous applications of time, money, and energy.
I must admit, at times the book moved a little more slowly than I wanted. I suspect this is because I knew about the Nutshells and the scope of her role in the Harvard program from the get-go. I knew what I wanted to know more about (if that makes sense) and sometimes the pace of the narrative frustrated me because it was so descriptive and detailed and I just wanted to get to the parts I was most interested in (which largely come later in her life). The details are fascinating and once I realized this was the source of my frustration I reminded myself to slow down and enjoy the ride, and that helped a lot – suggesting that, If I had approached this blind, I wouldn’t have had the same issues. The writing is clear and straightforward, and I don’t think the amount of detail provided was ever inappropriate – I was just that eager to learn more and wanted to get there as quickly a possible!
This is a marvelous story about the perseverance of one woman and the immeasurable impact that her actions had on the future of modern criminology. It’s a tale everyone should hear, and Goldfarb’s book is a fantastic addition to the field of criminal justice and a must-read for anyone interested in crime and its resolution.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics is an extremely well researched and enthralling read. It also is a perfect example of the far-reaching impact one person can have; without Frances Glessner Lee forensic science as we know it would not exist.
Goldfarb gives the reader a brief history of forensic science in America, and touts the works of George Burgess McGrath, MD, the first forensic pathologist in America. Lee, a wealthy socialite and friend of Magrath, found his work so intriguing and important that she became a tireless advocate, educator and financial supporter for the field of legal medicine. This book focuses on her life and contributions to the field of forensic medicine.
It was Lee who created The Magrath Library of Legal Medicine to preserve her friend’s work, collecting additional books on the subject at her own expense, making it the largest library of its kind in the world. Among her many other contributions to the field of forensic medicine are:
– proposed a nationwide dental database to help in identification of the deceased (suggestion ignored)
– developed a fellowship and curriculum for training doctors to specialize in legal medicine
– realized the importance of training police officers so that vital evidence not be disturbed and created seminars for them on their importance in forensic science
– made miniature, highly detailed dioramas of various crime scenes to aid in training
– worked with universities, medical schools, the FBI, coroners, police, etc. to advance forensic science
The list could go on and on. Suffice it to say, that this determined, tireless woman in essence created the field of forensic science in America and along the way became one of the world’s most astute, noted, and honored criminologists.
Despite my long interest in medicine and forensics, I am ashamed to say that prior to reading this book, I had not heard of Lee. I am so very glad that Bruce Goldfarb wrote this book to give this woman her due!
My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a biography Frances Glessner Lee, A socialite born in 1870, and an unsung heroine of forensic science. A woman who should never have ventured into the world of work at all, became an unlikely feminist hero through her determination and perseverance. She revolutionized the methodologies used in the investigation of violent crimes using her nutshells – a small diorama of a crime scene. Her methods are still used today in training investigators, and highlight the tiny clues which might go unnoticed but for her determination. A wonderful work, which really highlights how forensics don’t just depend on the work of lofty academics, it’s equally vital that the practical side is done well, and thoroughly.
What a marvelous contribution this woman made to forensics! Should be required reading for everyone.
How the work of one woman became the basis for Forensic science
Fascinating to read about the start of forensics!
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Relatable history (she grew up in Chicago) at the turn of the last century. She was self motivated and very well read. Because she was a girl her (wealthy) parents did not allow her to go to school. Her brother and one of his friends went to medical school so that peaked her interest and she then became interested in forensic medicine.
The subtitle tells it all: “The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics.” Who is she? I had no idea, either. She was a spoiled little rich girl in 1880’s Chicago who single-handedly devoted her life to what eventually became forensic medicine.
Early in the book, the author explains how America once depended on elected non-professional coroners. FGL changed all that, despite currently some states still use the services of coroners instead of medical examiners.
Over-achiever FGL wanted to go to Harvard but never did. Instead, she developed close ties with Harvard via her interest and huge donations to the study of forensics, which was a new field of study requiring the cooperation of the police and the scientist; each side had to respect the other to be able to identify both the cause and the perpetrator of unexpected death, a whole new concept in medicine.
FLG’ s most important contribution was her construction of miniature crime scenes for students of forensics to view, since they would be unable to go to real crime scenes. These “Nutshells” became an integral part of her teaching.
But she didn’t stop there. That’s why, if you enjoy reading about strong, intelligent women having a real impact on the world today, you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.
Fascinating read about an inspirational woman who championed a cause in a male dominated field. Courageous, artistic, devoted, intelligent, organized, are just a few of the qualities this woman had to have to create a whole new field of investigative medicine to work with law enforcement. We now know it as forensic medicine but in her day it was unheard of.
I skipped some parts that just didn’t interest me or I would have given it another star.
This book was one of the best historical accountings of true crime and how it was handled in the early part of the 20th century. The life of the”Gilded Age Chicago heiress who revolutionized forensic death investigation”,Frances Glessner Lee, is presented as the reader is led along the road to the establishment of forensic science in America. She is referred to as the mother of forensic science because of her fight to formalize the duties of the police detectives with the creation of ‘homicide’ detectives and classes on the subject. She, along with her physician friend , worked to replace coroners with medical examiners. Frances Glessner Lee is a fascinating woman, who went against the norms of her time and changed the world of crime fighting as we know it