Evelyn Francis McHale was an American bookkeeper who took her own life by jumping from the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. A photograph taken four minutes after her death by photography student Robert Wiles subsequently gained iconic status. The photo has become well-known due to the unusually intact appearance of her body following the suicide.
About Evelyn McHale in brief
Evelyn Francis McHale was an American bookkeeper who took her own life by jumping from the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. A photograph taken four minutes after her death by photography student Robert Wiles subsequently gained iconic status. The photo has become well-known due to the unusually intact appearance of her body following the suicide. Her note read: 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.
Andy Warhol used Wiles’ photo in one of his prints entitled Suicide. Her picture was also used on the cover of Saccharine Trust’s album Surviving You, Always, released in 1984 by SST Records. David Bowie’s 1993 video for the single \”Jump They Say\” and Radiohead’s 1995 music video for \”Street Spirit \” both include a recreation of the image, with Bowie and Thom Yorke respectively splayed atop a smashed car.
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This page is based on the article Evelyn McHale published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 08, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
