Near perfect preservation

[Bub666]

That is amazing.

[capncnut]

She's actually one of the milder exhibits at the place. What, like this guy? Am I the only one who finds this pic totally comical?

[MaximusIncredulous]

What, like this guy? Am I the only one who finds this pic totally comical? Nope. For some reason that picture cries out for the color of a swastika armband on that guy's arm. Strange.

[Bub666]

What, like this guy? Am I the only one who finds this pic totally comical? That looks creepy.

[Comrade775]

That IS amazing. Shame hat he took the secret with him though. Perhaps the fact that she was so young contributed to it. I've always been interested in that type of stuff from the human psychological aspect. As far as recorded history goes we have had the need to preserve and bury our dead. Why? When did that spark go of if the human brain that dictated that this was the decent thing to do? Fasinating. Like with mummification and what not, I can understand historical curiosity about what recipes were used for body preservation. But, do we really want a bunch of corpses sitting around in glass cases for the next few centuries that don't decay!? I think it's a shame they lose these recipes in the same way that it's a shame the recipe for Greek fire was lost, just in sort of an historically curious sense. I wouldn't want people to actually start using this stuff en masse.

[Neil]

Rosalia Lombardo died in 1920 aged two. She was one of the very last bodies to be placed in the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo, Italy. Click for image. Her remains are in a glass topped coffin on a marble pedestal in a small room of the catacombs. She was allegedly embalmed by Dr. Alfredo Solafia using a secret process which he never divulged before his death. She is regarded as something of a saint-like figure and onlookers have often claimed how it appears as if she is sleeping. Click for close-up. I have linked the images in case anyone finds them offensive but I think she has held up remarkably well considering the year of her passing. Amazing! That child looks older that 2!? More like 4-5?

[Chic Freak]

It looks like she's wearing a lot of orange makeup to put some "life" back into her skin but it's still incredible. It's beautiful in a sad sort of way... poor little thing.

[capncnut]

Ye olde thread resurrected. Was looking further into this and I've just discovered that the notes made by the original doctor, Dr. Alfredo Salafia were recently discovered, revealing the information of his preservation techniques. As follows: Recently the mummification techniques used by Dr. Alfredo Salafia were rediscovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafia's. Dr. Salafia replaced the girls blood with a liquid made of Formalin to kill bacteria, Alcohol to dry the body, Glycerin to keep her from overdrying, Salicylic acid to kill fungi, and the most important ingredient, Zinc salts to give the body rigidity. Amazing! A two-year-old child perfectly preserved since 1920 with no major signs of deterioration in 2009. I think that's incredible, even if Jimbo will probably be the only dude to agree.

[ProfessorChaos]

never noticed this thread before. pretty fancy work that dude did.....what was the other picture you'd posted earlier, capn? it isn't showing up anymore...

[capncnut]

what was the other picture you'd posted earlier, capn? it isn't showing up anymore... Recap: Rosalia Lombardo is a two-year-old female who died in 1920 and her perfectly preserved body is in the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo. She is pretty much regarded as a saint, is called 'The Sleeping Beauty', and is visited by people from all over the world. Here's a few images to give atmosphere: One of the many chambers. Neil's ancestors. Yojimbo. Rosalia.

[Yojimbo]

Ye olde thread resurrected. Was looking further into this and I've just discovered that the notes made by the original doctor, Dr. Alfredo Salafia were recently discovered, revealing the information of his preservation techniques. Amazing! A two-year-old child perfectly preserved since 1920 with no major signs of deterioration in 2009. I think that's incredible, even if Jimbo will probably be the only dude to agree. Yes, Jimbo agrees, and finds this to be a major trip. Now that his formula has been discovered, the preservation makes total sense since to a large degree he was using techniques and solutions that are still in use today. Of course, the formula is only part of the puzzle since the expertise of the embalmer is likely the primary reason why this girl is so well preserved and remains so to this day. A lot of those techniques, BTW, have not really changed all that much since the 20's, and are still in use today, albeit with modernized implements.

[AcesandEights]

Yojimbo. *Low whistle* So that's what over 40 looks like.

[Yojimbo]

*Low whistle* So that's what over 40 looks like. That's not a bad looking mummy for 40+!

[capncnut]

The thing that blew me away the most was the ingredients, none of which are particularly hard to find. I was expecting something a bit more alchemical like "tongue of lizard, eye of newt" kinda stuff.

[Mr.G]

Photos remind me of movies/shows that illustrate how people used to take 'death photos' of the recently passed. I'm glad this tradition is no longer as popular.