World Forensic Science Day: Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies

Hi Woodsy

I just found this amazing video on You Tube. It is on the use of models – basically doll houses – as police training aids.

Perhaps a little macabre for Moonbase Central, but fascinating. Certainly of interest to anyone who watches TV shows such as Bones or CSI.

A lady named Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) made the doll house rooms in the 1940s and 1950s, to help train those investigating real crime scenes. To look for details, and consider everything.

She came from a wealthy family, with connections to the International Harvester farming machine company. She taught forensics, and was made a Police Captain for her work.

It turns out there are a number of videos on this impressive lady.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdT8PgT19w

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zc0SsozqixMKjJg9FLNKy0pzkjNyVEoLilNyUwtVshPUyjNS60oyEnMzEtNUUhJTSzJAADqBBMH&q=nutshell+studies+of+unexplained+death&oq=nutshe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDAgBEC4YQxiABBiKBTIPCAAQABhDGOMCGIAEGIoFMgwIARAuGEMYgAQYigUyDAgCEC4YQxiABBiKBTIMCAMQABhDGIAEGIoFMgcIBBAAGIAEMgYIBRBFGDkyDQgGEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyDQgIEC4YxwEY0QMYgAQyBwgJEAAYjwLSAQk5NDg5ajBqMTWoAgmwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a8cbc024,vid:2-6ndwvK3UI,st:0

Wikipedia page on Frances Glessner Lee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Glessner_Lee

Wikipedia page on the dioramas, or Nutshell Studies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutshell_Studies_of_Unexplained_Death

There are also two books on the Nutshell Studies.

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Corinne May Botz, Monacelli Press, 2004

18 Tiny Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb, Sourcebooks, 2021

There is also a book by Bruce Goldfarb called Unexplained Deaths, 2021 – is this the same as 18 Tiny Deaths ?

Once again, models play a role in the real world. I had never heard of this amazing lady before, but she deserves to be remembered.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hooked on TJ Hooker

 Avoiding watching the TV News (it's always bad!) on a morning I've opted for an old TV cop show on repeat.

TJ. Hooker

Yep, Captain Kirk going where no cop has gone before. 

I really enjoyed it. It reminded me how gritty these US shows were, like the ones I watched as a kid, like Kojak, Canon and Ironside. Too many to name.

Those shows must have seemed incredibly urban and exotic to our UK parents at the time. Maybe even shocking. Full of massive cars, skyscrapers, dope, heroin, triads, pimps, hookers (not the TJ kind either!).

We're these shows really suitable for us kids?

Did they shock American audiences?

TJ came later I think. I didn't watch it. I guess I was older and doing other stuff. But I adored it's cop predecessors and Bill Shatner would have drawn me in. I loved Star Trek in the Sixties.

Surprisingly, for shows that really weren't for kids, like Kojak et al and our gritty British cop drama The Sweeney, there were indeed toys! Lots of 'em! 

TJ Hooker too.

Here's his rack toy patrol car by Fleetwood ( I'm sure it's the same one as their CHiPS car!) as seen on the web.

And the mpc kit version too

And there's a comical look at more TJ toys on Junkman's You Tube

https://youtu.be/W3g-r0enuFg?is=qhYm2kv3af56YtMB

Did you watch TJ Hooker? Which was your fave cop show? Have you got any collectables?

*

Fleetwood Toys police car comparison

CHiPs 1978

TJ Hooker 1983

Space Police on the Beat

 

The early years space vehicle looks fun. 

It reminds me of a Scramble Bug.

Space Police is it's name.

Although unrelated I seem to recall that being the working title of what became Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct. Is that right?

Mystery Police Car

I saw one of these recently at a sale, albeit red. I'm guessing it must be battery-operated and the police lights flash.

It's from the 1980's and from toy firm ARCO.

Is it from a set? Anyone recognise it?

SWATS THAT?

I'm seeing SWAT and Police Cars with Action dolls all over the place!

This is a Japanese Hema toy AMERICAN Alfa Romeo Police car I saw online on Ebay.

Maybe those figures are Action Team? Have these GI Joe Action Men got stockings on their heads? These fighting men get everywhere!

Have you found them in strange places readers?

and here's LJN's SWAT set from 1976 courtesy of RetroWaste. Are the HEMA guys SWAT too?

Those SWAT figures, here close-up and courtesy of MYMEGOLIKE, look like little Action Men! Anyone got any SWAT toys. Was it a TV show?

and here's LJN's similar Rookies too courtesy of Plaid Stallions. Was that a TV show?

Have you a Police Car with action dolls like these or Action Man/GI Joe readers?

A BRUSH WITH THE LAW: RESTORING A 1960's MARX POLICE ESTATE CAR

As I mentioned Bill kindly gave me this battered bundle of plastic fun to mess with last week.

I started with the Marx Police Car bottom left.

Its based on a Ford Zephyr Mk.II Farnham from the early 1960's. Originally remote control, this poorly example was missing its remote cable and unit, its light, a wheel arch and wheel. The POLICE decal at the front was worn too.

Most of the grille support was missing as is the entire front bumper. The POLICE decal is virtually gone. Lots of faded chrome parts and the white trim of one tyre more or less gone too. The windscreen top left frame was partly missing. Oh and no aerial.

The rear POLICE blue decal was worn and overall the car was very very grubby.

So what should it look like? Here's a superb example I saw on Ebay. You can see the front bumper and so on.

So, with a view to displayability rather than perfection, I set to. I gave the car a thorough clean, stuck a strip of tape across the windscreen frame top, all chrome parts brushed with new chrome silver and a new front undergrille and wheel arch made from white card. A new wheel was installed at the front.

The front bumper was made from a plastic packet edge cut to shape and silvered. The new POLICE decal was Letraset rubbed onto clear sellotape.

The rear POLICE decal was touched up with paint.

A new red 'light' and washer base were glued on and a plastic needle made a decent-enough aerial.

I then cleaned the whole thing again with lighter fluid and a Q-tip to get any final marks off.

eh voila! Watch out bad guys!

This is how it looked before I started.

Keen to catch slippery baddies the spruced up Ford began its beat early.

Hope you like what I've done. It was a lot of fun!

I've just realised I've forgotten a front licence plate. Doh!

You can see the actual car itself, the old Ford Zephyr Mark. II Farnham Estate Police Car in this You Tube video clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocQSpdxCS70

WILL'S BRADGATE Z CAR

Hi Woodsy. Another late entry to the police theme. I think z victor 4 is a z cars call sign, and it looks like the car is a triumph 2000. The copyright is BBC 1973, so it probably is a Z Cars product.

Will O.

UK

Woodsy adds:

Remember this TV series? Here's the memorable theme tune and intro!

I've always assumed Z stood for Zephyr, as in the car. Am I wrong?

Will's Marx Motorway Patrol car

My RC Marx motorway police patrol to go with the police theme.

Like it?

Will O.

UK

KEVIN'S CUSTOM COP CAR

Hi,

Not a genuine toy but here is the Anderson-esque police car I made from a toy.

Evening all,

Kevin

UK

TERRANOVA47'S WOLSELEY POLICE CARS

Here are photos of the of Budgie Wolseley 6/80 Police Cars.

My large one on display behind a blue Brian from Magic Roundabout. The smaller ones are on my present train layout, outside the Police station and by a Police call box.

Terranova47

USA

ED'S AUBURNS

I have another contender - less fancy, but one that also reminds me of the good ol' days: Auburn's #576 Police Car. I have these in several colors.

Ed B

Nevada

USA

ED'S PATROL CAR

Woodsy,

Growing up in the '50s & '60s, I remember having a Japanese tin-litho police car very similar to this. My recollection is that the dome light was more rounded though. Back then, tin-litho toys were budget friendly. Today, they're budget busters. Enjoy!

Ed

Las Vegas

USA

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE POLICE CAR?

I had a few police cars as a kid. I remember revving the friction drive of the white plastic Z car that came in a neat box based on the TV show. I also like the small blue Lesney American police car with fins at the back like the Z car, It could have been a Cadillac or an Impala - before Superfast anyway. It may have even been a Husky brand.

There will have been simple plastic police cars too like Blue Box and Lucky brands, which were everywhere, but I just can't remember them.

I do recall more solid fayre like the German Polizei VW, which was green and white and the blue and white Ford Anglia, that classic Panda [not sure why it was called a Panda].

Without doubt though, my own favourite was the Dinky Ford Transit van Accident Unit. I adored that chunky white van and played with it constantly, adoringly setting up the street furniture on my bedroom carpet. There were two or three traffic cones and an elevating camera on a pole in the roof. I don't think there was a policeman.

But by far the best accessory were the two Police Slow street signs in blue with white lettering. Setting those two things up was pure heaven. Storing them was fab too, as they slotted neatly into a rack in the rear of the van. Blimey, that takes me back.

What was your fave toy cop car readers? Any memories? Pictures welcomed.