Julio Mario Santo Domingo (1957-2009) was a collector and visionary who filled his homes and warehouses with the world's greatest private collection related to the subjects of drugs, sex, magic, and rock and roll. A library of more than 100,000 items, it contained everything from rare manuscripts and photos to posters, bottles, letters, opium pipes, and pinball machines. Exploring the innumerable influences of mind-enhancing drugs on art, science, and politics over the centuries, Santo Domingo s collection contained work by diverse figures including Andy Warhol, Timothy Leary, Sigmund Freud, the Marquis de Sade, Charles Baudelaire, Allen Ginsberg, the Rolling Stones, Aleister Crowley, and many more. This extraordinary collection is vividly documented in Altered States: The Library of Julio Santo Domingo.
Peter Watts has written for numerous publications, including The Times, The Guardian, World of Interiors, and Dazed & Confused, on a wide range of subjects. He has contributed to several books about music and literature, has worked with institutions such as the Design Museum and British Film Institute, and has recently written a history of London's Battersea Power Station.