14 December 2008

Life Magazine Archives: Manson Family

I delved into the Life Magazine Google Archives after being inspired by Jezebel's recent posts on women through the decades.
I did searches on various obsessions and came up with a bunch of great images but I am going to try to keep this vaguely topical.
First Stop: The Manson Family
"Hippie cult leader Charles Manson in court facing multiple murder charges in the brutal deaths of actress Sharon Tate and others." Vernon Merritt Iii, 1969
"Members of Charles Manson "hippie family" Lynn Fromme (L) and Sandra G. Pugh in court when other members were indicted for murder."Vernon Merritt Iii, 1969
"Member of Charles Manson "Hippie family" Susan D. Atkins indicted for murder of actress Sharon Tate and friends." Ralph Crane, 1969.
"Manson Family member Susan Atkins leaving the Grand Jury room after testifying during the trial of cult leader Charles Manson." Ralph Crane, 1969.
"Deputy district attorney Vincent Bugliosi in the Los Angeles Hall of Justice being interviewed at beginning of Grand Jury hearing." Ralph Crane, 1969 This guy wrote Helter Skelter.
"Press talk to, while police watch, a group of shaven headed people outside the courthouse during the trial of cult leader Charles Manson." Michael Rougier, 1972 This was years later when the Manson Girls shaved their heads and carved X's into their foreheads."Member of jury during the Charles Manson trial Mrs. Jean Roseland." Michael Rougier, 1971
"80-yr-old George Spahn, owner of the the Spahn Movie ranch where cult leader Charles Manson and his followers, known as the Manson Family, stayed." Ralph Crane, 1969
"Interior of Spahn ranch." Ralph Crane, 1969. I love how it looks like a movie set, nothing says homicidal cult crash pad like a bare mattress on the floor.
"Badly rundown kitchen in decrepit house on grounds of the Spahn Movie ranch." Ralph Crane, 1969.
"Make shift kitchen on Barker ranch, home of Charles Manson hippie family." Vernon Merritt Iii, 1969

6 comments:

justbrad said...

it's interesting, yet pretty sickening to know that one person could negatively influence so many people. nonetheless, their pysche is something to be admired. since most of the people who followed him did so according to their own freewill. they were seeing something in this guy that we can only imagine.. i.e. JIM JONES of jonestown, etc.. southern baptist/pentecostal preachers..

snackcake said...

ooooh
http://www.youtube.com/v/00MkQrlauM8&hl=en&fs=1

thehistoryofmyfuture said...

LOVE those LIFE archives!! I've started a folder on my desktop just for the photos I've been finding on there when I'm bored. I found a weird cache of 70's musicians with their moms the other day. Maybe I'll post.

Anonymous said...

Let's see....Manson and family did not commit the murders. That's correct...you see, it's easy to fool the people, but very difficult to convince the people that they have been fooled. How do I know the family are patsies? I'm smart and I know when I'm looking at a staged event. Call me crazy, but I know I'm correct. All you have to do is look at all the supposed "police errors" at the crime scene.... Remember, errors at a crime scene by professionals is no mistake. I will assure everyone that if you are trapped into the narrative of Helter Skelter, you are probably under the influence of toxic exposure.

Anonymous said...

I was told I met CM at a party that was for Dennis Wilson (and my only reason for being there) I was told, mind you. Thought I was in my early 20's and obviously too old for the likes of a 5'2 midget with dubious bathing habits I do remember a guy trying to talk a bunch of 'carnie' to me...something this guy had obviously ripped off from carnival workers or his cell mates. I remember thinking 1) what an obvious fool and 2)who falls for this shit? and 3)wonder how much penicillin those girls use a month? Also 4.....It's true. Men will f**** ANYTHING. Not very impressed. Oh and 5!! Hustling was MY gig. He was a rank amateur.

Anonymous said...

Oh and 'Just Brad' it really wasn't such a mystery since his fishing pool was the dregs of some of the most useless hopeless people on the planet that knew, even at that early age they'd lost the intelligence lottery at birth and their lives were bound to be of the 'less than' quality. These poor in-bred mistakes of nature flew higher with him than they ever had a right to according to genetics and natural selection.