The Story Behind the 1942 Genesee Hotel Suicide

Before the Internet, only selected individuals had access to historical documents and so, most people carried little to no information about important events and tragedies, such as this 1942 photograph. Now that everyone and their pet surfs the web, the photograph is widely shared across Facebook and other social platforms and blogs, incorrectly captioned, "The Despondent Divorcee." Many people see the photo as it makes round across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms, yet, the backstory behind the photo rarely is heard.

This is the story behind the now-famous hotel suicide photo.

The Story Behind the Photo

On May 7, 1942, Buffalo Courier-Express photographer I. Russel Sorgi headed back to his office after an assignment, taking a different route than usual. As police cars passed by, Sorgi followed close behind. The police cars pulled into the parking lot of the Genesee Hotel located at 530 Main Street. Sorgi pulled in behind them, immediately noticing a woman sitting on the ledge outside an eighth-floor window.

Sorgi Snaps His Camera Precisely at the Perfect Moment

Sorgi knew something was about to happen and quickly grabbed his camera from the seat, hopped out of his car, and snapped a photo, reloaded his camera, and snapped a second shot as the woman hesitated (assumably hearing someone walk in from behind her in an attempt to save her life) before waving to the crowd as she jumped.

Sorgi grabbed a fresh sheet of film, loaded it into the camera, and at precisely the right moment, again snapped the shutter as the shocked crowd screamed and yelled as the woman fell from the ledge, landing near their feet on the concrete roadway.

Sorgi reloaded, snapped another photo, this time as the woman’s body passed by the third floor of the hotel.

M Miller From Chicago

The woman checked into the hotel as M Miller from Chicago and proceeded to the communal women’s restroom, locked the door, and walked out of the window onto the ledge. She was later identified as Mary Miller from Buffalo.

Mary lived with her sister and had earlier left their shared home saying that she was headed to Indiana to visit family. Although the photo is often captioned as “The Despondent Divorcee,” Mary was unmarried and was not involved in a romantic relationship. She did not leave a suicide note or any clues as to why she chose to take her life that day in front of so many onlookers.

Photo Published

Sorgi published the photo in the Buffalo Courier-Express. The May 8, 1942 edition of the New York Times featured the photo. Later, LIFE magazine published the photo.

The photo below is a postcard of the Genesee Hotel, indicating the window from which Ms. Miller leaped. The hotel is no longer part of the Buffalo neighborhood but this photo ensures that the Genesee will never be forgotten.

Thanks for reading!

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