MOST UNUSUAL & MORBIDLY CURIOUS DEATH MASK OF THE FBI’S MOST WANTED BANK ROBBER, JOHN DILLINGER.

MOST UNUSUAL & MORBIDLY CURIOUS DEATH MASK OF THE FBI’S MOST WANTED BANK ROBBER, JOHN DILLINGER. Plaster cast of a man’s face about 11″ long x 6-1/2″ wide x 5″ high with the eyes & mouth closed showing great detail of bullet wounds, eyebrows, eyelashes & mustache with, Dillinger’s distinctive cleft in the chin. Accompanied by a letter from the consignor stating that his father, William J. Burrichter, was in the dental business with the Pattison McGrath Dental Supply Co. of Kansas City when in 1934, when consignor was about thirteen years old, his father came home with this plaster death mask. Consignor states that this was only a few short weeks after Dillinger was killed in Chicago in July 1934. He states that his father said that the mask was given to him by either a dentist or a man in the dental business in Chicago. Also accompanying is a reprint of an internet page detailing how that there may have been as many as four molds made of John Dillinger’s face in the dayor two immediately after he was killed by the FBI in Chicago. Additionally accompanying is a transcription of a July 24, 1934 article which appeared in the Chicago Evening American which details much of the known information about the death masks that were made of John Dillinger. In one of the articles it states that J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, was presented with one of these Dillinger death masks and fearing a scandal of some sort immediately opened an investigation into the matter. Upon learning that no crime had been committed he apparently directed the FBI laboratory to make a cast of the mask that he had received and would send any law enforcement agency a cast just for the asking. There is no way to know how many of these recasts were actually produced. This cast however has all the appearance of being one of the orig authentic ones with the vivid crisp bullet wounds in the face that would have been closed and sealed over during the embalming process, lending credence to the likelihood that this is one of the authentic masks taken almost immediately after Dillinger’s death. Someone has taken the liberty of adding red dye to the bullet wound areas. Close examination of the eyebrows & mustache area shows that this is probably not the first mold taken as there are small areas of hair missing and in one of the articles the mortician is quoted as saying that the mold taking process had removed some of Dillinger’s eyebrows & mustache. Also accompanied by a reprint of the FBI Wanted posted for John Dillinger. CONDITION: Fine, slightly soiled with some minor chips around the neck area. 4-38479 JR160 (5,000-10,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1103	$0.00	MOST UNUSUAL & MORBIDLY CURIOUS DEATH MASK OF THE FBI’S MOST WANTED BANK ROBBER, JOHN DILLINGER. Plaster cast of a man’s face about 11″ long x 6-1/2″ wide x 5″ high with the eyes & mouth closed showing great detail of bullet wounds, eyebrows, eyelashes & mustache with, Dillinger’s distinctive cleft in the chin. Accompanied by a letter from the consignor stating that his father, William J. Burrichter, was in the dental business with the Pattison McGrath Dental Supply Co. of Kansas City when in 1934, when consignor was about thirteen years old, his father came home with this plaster death mask. Consignor states that this was only a few short weeks after Dillinger was killed in Chicago in July 1934. He states that his father said that the mask was given to him by either a dentist or a man in the dental business in Chicago. Also accompanying is a reprint of an internet page detailing how that there may have been as many as four molds made of John Dillinger’s face in the dayor two immediately after he was killed by the FBI in Chicago. Additionally accompanying is a transcription of a July 24, 1934 article which appeared in the Chicago Evening American which details much of the known information about the death masks that were made of John Dillinger. In one of the articles it states that J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, was presented with one of these Dillinger death masks and fearing a scandal of some sort immediately opened an investigation into the matter. Upon learning that no crime had been committed he apparently directed the FBI laboratory to make a cast of the mask that he had received and would send any law enforcement agency a cast just for the asking. There is no way to know how many of these recasts were actually produced. This cast however has all the appearance of being one of the orig authentic ones with the vivid crisp bullet wounds in the face that would have been closed and sealed over during the embalming process, lending credence to the likelihood that this is one of the authentic masks taken almost immediately after Dillinger’s death. Someone has taken the liberty of adding red dye to the bullet wound areas. Close examination of the eyebrows & mustache area shows that this is probably not the first mold taken as there are small areas of hair missing and in one of the articles the mortician is quoted as saying that the mold taking process had removed some of Dillinger’s eyebrows & mustache. Also accompanied by a reprint of the FBI Wanted posted for John Dillinger. CONDITION: Fine, slightly soiled with some minor chips around the neck area. 4-38479 JR160 (5,000-10,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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