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Evelyn McHale

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33: 194:, to visit Rhodes. The next day, after leaving Rhodes's residence, she returned to New York City and went to the Empire State Building where she jumped from the 86th-floor observatory, landing on top of a parked car. A security guard was reportedly standing approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) from her just before she jumped. 238: 322:
praised the photo as "technically rich, visually compelling and ... downright beautiful", describing her body as "resting, or napping, rather than ... dead" and appearing as if she is "daydreaming of her beau".
114:. A photography student took a picture of her corpse where it lay on top of a crushed car. The photograph of the dead lady had a "beautiful" aesthetic quality, and was republished around the world. The photograph led 962: 205:
I don't want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don't have any service for me or remembrance for me.
972: 564: 316:, who burned himself alive at a busy Saigon road intersection in 1963; both are widely regarded as being among the most iconic suicide photographs. Ben Cosgrove of 763: 992: 451:, with the lyrics "Turn to page 43, and you'll know how I feel," being in direct reference to the photograph as shown in LIFE Magazine's May 12, 1947 issue. 487:
In 2018, a novel by journalist and writer Nadia Busato was published in Italy, tracing the story of Evelyn McHale and her suicide. The novel is entitled
738:"The Wild and Dark History of the Empire State Building, One of New York City's Most Recognized Landmarks, and Known for its Record-Breaking Height" 737: 213:
Her body was identified by her sister, Helen Brenner. In accordance with her wishes, McHale was cremated with no memorial, service, or grave.
967: 425:. At the end of the song he says, "Now this'll be a beautiful death; I'm jumping out the window", thought to be influenced by the suicide. 685: 484:
contains a visual homage to the Evelyn McHale photo, with a character's body being depicted atop a car in a pose reminiscent of McHale's.
447: 1007: 822: 110:(September 20, 1923 – May 1, 1947) was an American bookkeeper who jumped to her death from the 86th-floor observation deck of the 710: 432:
by the St. Paul, MN band Skittish, singer and songwriter Jeff Noller poses in a stylized recreation of the infamous picture.
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My fiance asked me to marry him in June. I don't think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me.
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Rhodes did not notice any indication of suicidal thoughts before McHale left. Detective Frank Murray found her
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in a black pocketbook next to her neatly folded cloth coat over the observation deck wall. The note read:
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by the character Karen Eiffel. The photograph is also referenced in the song "Shatter Me with Hope" by
182:. She met her fiance Barry Rhodes, a college student discharged from the United States Army Air Force. 143: 686:"The Most Beautiful Suicide: Evelyn McHale Leapt to Her Death from the Empire State Building, 1947" 395: 378: 179: 171: 597: 884: 416: 151: 76: 982: 629: 476: 796: 532: 347: 167: 111: 987: 977: 459: 191: 131: 57: 463:
opens with the track "Evelyn McHale". Reference was also made to the shot at the start of
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features an artist rendition of the iconic photograph in the bottom right corner.
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uses a color photo that recreates the original image, while that of the 2009
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Barry Rhodes became an engineer before moving south. He died unmarried in
134:, one of nine children born to Helen and Vincent McHale. Her father was a 907:"Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — Ending Theme | Let You Down by Dawid Podsiadło" 366: 352: 331: 119: 764:"Specter Detector: Courting the Empire State Building's Prettiest Ghost" 847: 412: 404: 382: 98: 862: 399: 374: 178:, and was employed as a bookkeeper at the Kitab Engraving Company on 565:"'The Most Beautiful Suicide': A Violent Death, an Immortal Photo" 279: 237: 768: 298:
The photo of her body, taken by Robert Wiles, was published in
142:, in 1930. Her mother suffered from undiagnosed and untreated 118:
magazine to call it "the most beautiful suicide". It inspired
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People notable for being the subject of a specific photograph
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Tell my father, I have too many of my mother's tendencies.
381:" both include a recreation of the image, with Bowie and 190:
On April 30, 1947, McHale took a train from New York to
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magazine. It has been compared to the photograph by
973:People from Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York 711:"Evelyn McHale: A Beautiful Death on 33rd Street" 363:references this picture in the opening sequence. 954: 334:used Wiles' photo in one of his prints entitled 683: 649: 647: 558: 556: 415:may have used this as inspiration for his song 735: 877:"Taylor Swift – Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar" 993:People from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York 794: 644: 562: 553: 679: 677: 675: 125: 846: 541:. Time Inc. May 12, 1947. pp. 42–43. 435:The photograph is referenced in the movie 385:respectively splayed atop a smashed car. 341:Her picture was also used on the cover of 236: 31: 595: 527: 525: 523: 755: 729: 703: 672: 589: 448:Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice 933:Non sarò mai la brava moglie di nessuno 761: 489:Non sarò mai la brava moglie di nessuno 955: 930: 887:from the original on December 21, 2021 520: 16:American bookkeeper and suicide jumper 762:Conaboy, Kelly (September 25, 2015). 684:Robert C. Wiles (February 27, 2014). 326: 968:Suicides by jumping in New York City 736:Staff Reporter (November 27, 2015). 598:"Crashing to Earth, Again and Again" 480:ending theme song "Let You Down" by 377:'s 1995 music video for the single " 13: 14: 1019: 471:" music video, released in 2015. 422:My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 411:Producer, rapper, and songwriter 798:The Religious Art of Andy Warhol 924: 899: 869: 840: 815: 788: 563:Ben Cosgrove (March 19, 2014). 428:On the cover of the 2019 album 795:Dillenberger, Jane D. (2001). 617: 369:'s 1993 video for the single " 1: 801:. A&C Black. p. 67. 513: 474:The 2022 music video for the 625:"The Birth of Evelyn Mchale" 596:Page, Max (April 23, 2006). 388:The cover of the 1995 album 312:of Vietnamese Buddhist monk 7: 1008:Women's Army Corps soldiers 1003:Black-and-white photographs 494: 166:in 1942, McHale joined the 10: 1024: 231:The Most Beautiful Suicide 130:Evelyn McHale was born in 285: 275: 267: 252: 244: 235: 230: 223: 157: 94: 84: 65: 39: 30: 23: 491:("Nobody's Good Wife"). 396:Machines of Loving Grace 379:Street Spirit (Fade Out) 185: 172:Jefferson City, Missouri 126:Early life and education 152:Eastchester High School 122:, among other artists. 77:New York City, New York 931:Busato, Nadia (2018). 852:"VV Q&A episode 6" 690:Rare Historical Photos 630:California Birth Index 477:Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 351:, released in 1984 by 220:, on October 9, 2007. 211: 162:After graduating from 533:"Picture of the Week" 438:Stranger Than Fiction 348:Surviving You, Always 336:Suicide (Fallen Body) 203: 174:. She later moved to 170:and was stationed in 112:Empire State Building 108:Evelyn Francis McHale 44:Evelyn Francis McHale 460:Privilege (Abridged) 192:Easton, Pennsylvania 164:Normandy High School 132:Berkeley, California 58:Berkeley, California 935:(in Italian). SEM. 455:Parenthetical Girls 394:by the Tucson band 150:where she attended 85:Cause of death 850:(August 9, 2022). 717:. October 24, 2012 603:The New York Times 430:Better Out Than In 327:In popular culture 218:Melbourne, Florida 168:Women's Army Corps 148:Tuckahoe, New York 89:Suicide by jumping 54:September 20, 1923 998:1940s photographs 808:978-0-8264-1334-5 776:on April 25, 2016 577:on March 24, 2015 445:from their album 419:off of his album 296: 295: 176:Baldwin, New York 138:who relocated to 105: 104: 1015: 947: 946: 928: 922: 921: 919: 917: 903: 897: 896: 894: 892: 873: 867: 866: 860: 858: 844: 838: 837: 835: 833: 819: 813: 812: 792: 786: 785: 783: 781: 772:. 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Index


Berkeley, California
New York City, New York
Suicide by jumping
Bookkeeper
Empire State Building
Andy Warhol
Berkeley, California
bank examiner
Washington, D.C.
depression
Tuckahoe, New York
Eastchester High School
Normandy High School
Women's Army Corps
Jefferson City, Missouri
Baldwin, New York
Pearl Street
Easton, Pennsylvania
suicide note
Melbourne, Florida

Suicide
New York City
Life
Malcolm Browne
self-immolation
Thích Quảng Đức
Time
Andy Warhol

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