Title supplied by cataloger.; Photograph was edited for publication purposes. Darby Day Jr. and Bernice Lundstrom were from Chicago. He was the son of the wealthy head of the Life Insurance Underwriter's Association and she was a 21 year-old divorcee looking for another husband. They met in 1924, married and moved to Beverly Hills, California to escape the cold Chicago winters. Her family and his mother also moved to Beverly Hills. Lundstrom grew demanding and erratic in the marriage, insisting on a separate home for herself and threatening suicide. In February, 1925, Lundstrom threw nitric acid into Day's face at his home. The acid permanently damaged his face and he lost vision in one eye. Lundstrom was later arrested and stood trial. Defense experts claimed she had the mind of a ten-year-old, but when the jury saw the gruesome photos of Day's injuries, she was convicted and sentenced to 1 to 14 years. Her appeal was denied and she was sent to San Quentin Prison in Northern California in August, 1926. Day divorced her in December, 1926. Shocking those who knew him, Day made a plea to the Gorvernor to pardon Lundstrom, but he was denied. She served 14 months and was out by the end of 1927. Day died in Santa Monica, California on February 4, 1928 during surgery to remove an abdominal abcess. Photograph used for an article dated October 28, 1932; the caption reads "'Climaxing a trail of tragedy, the elder Darby Day, Los Angeles millionaire, is under conviction for mail fraud in Missouri and faces a prison term himself. The acid throwing occurred when the girl said she was made desperate by the 'attitude' of her mother-in-law. In 1927, the year his bride was freed from prison, young day was sued for lost love by an actress. In 1928 he died suddenly while under an anesthetic. The Days and their son, his face acid-scarred, are pictured above."
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Day, Darby,--Jr.--Family Day, Bernice Lundstrom--Trials, litigation, etc Families--California--Los Angeles Victims of crimes--California--Los Angeles Crime--California--Los Angeles Men--California--Los Angeles Women--California--Los Angeles Portrait photographs Group portraits Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
