Last Meals Offer Glimpse into Minds of Condemned Men

Henry Hargreaves’ latest project is recreations of the last meals of various serial killers on death row. The Christchurch-born photographer has made a name for himself making and photographing such gastronomical fancies as edible rainbows and deep fried iPads, but it’s this series of chilling images, “No Seconds”, Hargreaves has become famous for.

“Looking through the set gives you a tangible, almost sensory window into the minds of condemned men,” Matthew Francey writes for Vice magazine. “And in a world where we’re overwhelmed with hundreds of filtered pictures of food every day, it’s pretty amazing to find a photo of mint chocolate ice cream that actually makes you think.

“‘The thing that kind of struck me with these last meals was how many of them were these big, deep fried meals, which we like to call comfort food,’ Hargreaves explains. ‘Here were these people in their last moments and all they really want was a little bit of comfort.’

“It struck me that Timothy McVeigh’s request might be him making a statement,” Francey says. “Do you think that’s him making a comment on his own selfishness?

“‘He could be saying how selfish he is, or he could also just be saying he’s got the world’s most unrefined pallet and two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream is heaven to him.’”

Hargreaves is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Original article by Matthew Francey, Vice, April 25, 2013.

Photo by Henry Hargreaves.