{"title":"Books by Paul Gambino","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781836004226","title":"Beyond the Veil","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeyond the Veil \u003c\/i\u003eis a visual tour through the curious history of how we deal with death—the grief and mourning, the funerals, symbols, and ceremonies.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFrom \u003cb\u003eVictorian England\u003c\/b\u003e across to the \u003cb\u003eUS\u003c\/b\u003e, learn about the often peculiar and at times macabre ways of how the living memorialize the dead. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eHumans have always had ways of marking death, but in Victorian England death became a morbid obsession that went global—death was as much ‘celebrated’ as it was a source of fear and sadness. Queen Victoria herself became a figurehead of grief after the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861. Her ensuing\u003cb\u003e fascination with death\u003c\/b\u003e took many visual forms—from her ritualized embrace of black clothing to the building of ostentatious monuments—and massively \u003cb\u003einfluenced cultural norms\u003c\/b\u003e in both the UK and further afield. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Victorians built complex cemeteries, collected precious memento mori, commissioned bizarre death portraits, and obsessed over the correct mourning attire and funerary protocol, while turn-of-the century America saw reflections of many of these cultural phenomena. The bestsellers of the period were often about life and death (think \u003ci\u003eFrankenstein \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDracula\u003c\/i\u003e), while the\u003cb\u003e art, architecture, and style—\u003c\/b\u003ewith its often dark and heavy gothic overtones—revelled in the glamorization of death.\u003ci\u003e Beyond the Veil\u003c\/i\u003e brings this extraordinarily \u003cb\u003eelaborate and stylised visual culture\u003c\/b\u003e together while expertly explaining and elaborating on its most \u003cb\u003epeculiar and fascinating\u003c\/b\u003e aspects. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor example, it explores:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe influence of\u003cb\u003e Queen Victoria’s personal mourning\u003c\/b\u003e on fashion and social custom.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe rise of \u003cb\u003eVictorian cemeteries and funerary architecture\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe art of \u003cb\u003ememento mori and post-mortem photography\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe emergence of \u003cb\u003espiritualism, seances and afterlife communication\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe fascination with \u003cb\u003egothic literature, symbolism\u003c\/b\u003e and the\u003cb\u003e romanticization of death. \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeautifully illustrated throughout with archival photography, artworks and design,\u003ci\u003eBeyond the Veil \u003c\/i\u003eis a must-have for\u003cb\u003e lovers of history, art, and the macabre. I\u003c\/b\u003et invites readers to step into the shadows of the past and discover how Victorian mourning shaped our modern relationship with grief and remembrance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897844121973,"sku":"9781836004226","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836004226_d15e3010-cec7-46d9-b2fd-0d0c7c18016e.jpg?v=1786028459"},{"product_id":"9780857829146","title":"Killer Collections","description":"Delve into the dark and dangerous side of humanity with this intriguing collection of artifacts and ephemera relating to some of the world's most infamous criminals and criminal acts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom an 18th Century hangman's noose to Charles Manson's cremation ashes, a document signed by Lizzie Borden and the circular saw confiscated from the home of The Kansas City Butcher – many of these pieces will be shown outside private collections for the very first time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis unique book offers a rare opportunity to explore numerous personal archives, showcasing murder weapons, crime scene photography, police files, diaries, letters and other criminal ephemera, alongside the fascinating and often disturbing stories behind them. Meet the collectors with unique and privileged access to dozens of dangerous and disturbed perpetrators, including Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer, Ramirez, Berkowitz and Shawcross, and discover new insights into their troubling psychology and infamous crimes.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295412498805,"sku":"9780857829146","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857829146_2e377219-9a11-4c35-a636-67011ee25b8d.jpg?v=1786016301"},{"product_id":"9781780678665","title":"Morbid Curiosities","description":"Step into the residences of the 18 collectors featured in this fascinating book and you will immediately realize that you have been granted entrance to a very special place. Many of these collections make their public debut in \u003ci\u003eMorbid Curiosities\u003c\/i\u003e making it a must for fans of the bizarre and curious. This showcase book documents the private world of collectors of the macabre as it features 18 unique collections, including skulls, prosthetics, mummified body parts, taxidermy, occult objects and various carnival and side–show and criminal ephemera.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere you will meet Ryan and Regina who collect shrunken heads, Nathan Roberts who has hundreds of letters from serial killers, Brandon Hodge who has the world's biggest collection of Ouija Boards and many more. Author Paul Gambino says of the collectors, they could come from \"a realm that seems far removed from their reality and populated by a fascinating group of people that appear to have stepped directly from Lord Byron's gothic dinner party in the summer of 1816.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMorbid Curiosities\u003c\/i\u003e includes stunning, specially commissioned photography of both the individual objects and the context of how the collector exhibits their work, forming a unique showcase of the bizarre and the intriguing. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time and there is an extensive interview with each collector, explaining how and why they collect, and showcasing the most remarkable pieces from each collection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeatured collections and collectors:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStraight from the Morgue:  NICOLE ANGEMI\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Art of Morbid Decor: PAUL BOOTH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Masterpiece of the Macabre: RYAN MATTHEW COHN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis Personal Wunderkammer: CALVIN VON CRUSH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Art of Mourning: DANIELLE DEVEROUX\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's in Their Blood: STEVE \u0026amp; DANIEL ERENBERG\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Hidden Mother: SKY G.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Mysterious 48 Rue Jacob: JEAN–BERNARD\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Resurrectionist: BRANDON HODGE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTrue Crime Collecting: JESSIKA M.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMessages from the Beyond: JOHN KOZIK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Pulp to Pickled Punks: JACK KUMP\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlways Been Weird: D. L. MARIAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Pleasure in Weeping: EVAN MICHELSON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHangin' with the Dead: MIK MILLER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCrime and Punishment: NATHAN ROBERTS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCurating the Macabre: BRENT S.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303330165109,"sku":"9781780678665","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781780678665_4322a1e7-36ac-4834-98c3-51507871136a.jpg?v=1786025834"},{"product_id":"9781786276513","title":"Skulls","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTake an eerie journey through history as you meet over 180 human skulls and discover the stories behind them.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is said that the skull is the only human body part that is as powerful dead as it was when living.\u003ci\u003e Skulls\u003c\/i\u003e is made up of a series of short illustrated stories laced with fascinating facts, historical and medical references and compelling anecdotes. The testimonials of thirty-plus skull collectors reveal what is known of - or speculated about - the often gruesome history of the skulls, as well as how they were acquired and what makes them so highly prized.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305639883125,"sku":"9781786276513","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781786276513_069d3b3b-d1b9-4d0b-a53f-e7a2b0ac35a7.jpg?v=1786025346"},{"product_id":"9781454951094","title":"The Art of Gothic Living","description":"From a spirit-haunted church in Western Ohio to an ancient Italian castle, from a freakish funhouse on the Jersey shore to a Connecticut cottage with a storybook façade that belies its spine-tingling contents: this collection of aspirational interiors will appeal to anyone who wishes to live in the luxury of Gothic darkness without sacrificing even an ounce of style. The Art of Gothic Living profiles 15 homes and their owners, chronicling their journeys to creating living spaces that reflect a philosophy steeped in the tenets of Gothic subculture--individuality, creativity, and a fascination with life's shadow side. The ways in which this manifests in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms is as diverse as the homeowners in author Paul Gambino's intriguing book. How does one showcase a collection of medical models and religious iconography in a way that emphasizes its beauty (and allows space for entertaining)? How can a homeowner make the ghosts that linger in the halls a feature, not a bug? This engaging, beautifully designed treasure trove of dark delights answers plenty of the most practical questions while inspiring readers to new heights of decorative expression as they envision a Gothic home for themselves, wherever they may reside.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312411652469,"sku":"9781454951094","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781454951094_8a5e2092-7c65-4d60-bf4f-c882ddd4dfaf.jpg?v=1786020705"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-paul-gambino.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}