Scene of the Crime: Photographs from the LAPD Archive

by Tim Wride, James Ellroy, William J. Bratton

Shares case information, articles, and recently discovered crime photos from the LAPD archives for dramatic cases that took place between the 1930s and 1960s, in a compilation that includes information related to such crimes as the Black Dahlia slaying, the Onion Field murder, and the deaths of "The Two Tonys" gangsters by Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratiano. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Photography, True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, Death

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scene of the Crime is one of my favorites of the coffee table collections of old crime scene photographs.

There is something striking of these old images that is almost unexplained.

[Mary X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book especially for a true crime and old photograph buff. Docked it a star because the captions of the photos are in the back and it was a pain to keep a finger in place in the back and then flip back and forth.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simultaneously fascinating and gruesome. And now I really really want to watch L.A. Confidential again!

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of crime-scene photography, mostly from the 1940s and 1950s, capturing a wide assortment of scenarios in black and white. Yes, I'm a little morbid. Was made aware of it because of Ellroy's introduction. Although there is some blood, gruesomeness kept to a minimum. What is surprising is that some of the shots are almost artistic.

[L.M. Elm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graphic death scenes. Some just scenes of disarray (I found those to be more disturbing because you had to imagine WHY the scene was messed up). Can't say I would pick this up again, due to the subject matter. But it was an educational read.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's possible that I built this up in my mind but I expected more from this. First the book is awkward to even hold. Second, the full page photos from basically the entire book are just that - full page photos. One has to flip back and forth, back and forth, to see the photo and read the caption. Why just print the caption on a piece of the page or on every third, fourth page? It would have made for much easier reading.
I almost rated this 2 stars but the pictures themselves, not all but most, are extremely interesting. Not all photos are of dead bodies. Some are notes, crime scenes, etc. Almost all, if not all, have the photographer and date stated.
Like with Shots in the Dark: True Crime Pictures it's definitely not for the squeamish. Although I doubt this is something anyone just picks up. If you're interested you know it.
The photographs are most certainly hard to look at. The captions, when case information was available, are hard to read. But I believe it's not a bad thing to know and see this. I think it's made me infinitely more careful in my life.
It's worth getting for sure but I personally wouldn't buy it.

[Denelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

At once visually engrossing and emotionally disturbing, “Scene of the Crime” paints a picture we are all too familiar with; that of murder, mayhem and senseless slayings. But this photographic archive of old L.A. crime scenes is masterfully culled and brilliantly laid out.

Many of the photos evoke guttural emotions that are surprising for not knowing the victims or circumstance, yet completely understandable given the image and overall context of the book.

Some of the photos are haunting, and sort of follow you to bed at night.

Others are just downright gorgeous, which is an odd sensation, all things considered. Still, the photos in this book can't be denied; masterful lighting, expert angles, and a panache for pleasing aesthetics make me wonder what happened to the photographers that contributed to this age-old gathering of death masks.

Despite the ghastly images and gruesome nature of the situations, these photos draw you in and create a curiosity and empathy for the lives lived and lost. And what better end could a crime scene aspire to, than impacting strangers to feel sorrow and honor for those long gone?

[Joel Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of stark crime scene photos from the LAPD archives from the early 20th century through 1970 or so. Excellent photographic detail of horrific scenes, with captions at the back giving the information known about each view. The preface & introduction were written by police officers and can be skipped altogether. A quick and very interesting read.

[Sundry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of photos. Changed the way I look at things. Photos taken on the worst/last day.

[Sabur76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gruesome, interesting and historical.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

a vida é fodida