Podcast Summary: Gone South – "The Lampshade: A Post-Katrina New Orleans Mystery"

Podcast: Gone South (Season 5)
Host: Jed Lipinski
Date: April 8, 2026
Episode: The Lampshade: A Post-Katrina New Orleans Mystery

Overview:

This episode centers on a haunting artifact—a lampshade rumored to be made from human skin—unearthed in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Through interviews with those who encountered it and an investigative journey through history, myth, and trauma, award-winning journalist Jed Lipinski explores the story of the lampshade, its cultural legacies, and the enduring power of myth. The episode unravels how a post-disaster find in New Orleans led to existential questions about evil, memory, and the blurry boundaries between legend and fact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery Amidst Ruin (02:08–06:23)

• Skip Henderson's Post-Katrina Return:
  Skip, who evacuated New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina, returns to devastation—debris, upended neighborhoods, and lost possessions.
• Rummage Sale Encounter:
  At a neighborhood rummage sale, Skip meets Dave Dominici, an eccentric local, and buys several items—including a mysterious antique lamp with a peculiar shade.
• The Strange Lampshade:
  Dave tells Skip, “You know, that’s a Nazi lampshade.” (04:21) The lampshade’s material is greasy, amber-colored, and veined—implying it’s made from something unsettling (06:00).
• Skip’s Reaction:
  "I needed a lamp and how much is that?... As I'm about to leave, the guy says to me, you know, that's a Nazi lampshade." – Skip Henderson (04:21)

2. An Object Passed & Unwanted (07:19–09:43)

• A Disturbing Hand-Me-Down:
  Unnerved by Dave’s assertion and the item’s appearance, Skip ships the lamp to friends—first a drum maker, then a Hollywood props collector, and finally to Mark Jacobson, a journalist.
• Universally Unwanted:
  Each recipient returns the lampshade, finding it unsettling. The drum maker’s wife insisted it leave their home (07:39).

3. Mark Jacobson’s Investigation (08:49–18:51)

• Jacobson Becomes the Custodian:
  Mark, both fascinated and repulsed, takes on the task of unraveling the lampshade’s origins.
  "As soon as I got it home, I got this really weird vibe off it, you know..." – Mark Jacobson (09:17)
• Exploring the Myth:
  The episode dives into the lore of Nazi lampshades—rumors heard by Jewish children in 1950s Queens and supported by postwar horror newsreels, despite later skepticism from historians (13:47).
• Scientific Scrutiny:
  Mark seeks expert help: DNA analysis at Bode Technology, a renowned forensics lab, reveals the dominant genetic profile is human (17:34).
  "Well, my first reaction was I really didn't believe it. You know, I figured they must have fucked up. That can't be true." – Mark Jacobson (18:43)

4. Consequences & Confrontations (21:04–27:35)

• Skip’s Reaction:
  Overcome by horror, Skip drinks heavily upon learning the test results (21:04).
  “It leaves me speechless…coming back to horror and then this is a sideshow.” – Skip Henderson (21:04)
• Confronting Dave Dominici:
  Skip tracks down Dave to share the DNA results; Dave responds jubilantly (23:29), revealing his criminal past as the “New Orleans Cemetery Bandit.”
  “He was jubilant, which to me was even more horrifying.” – Skip Henderson (23:29)
• Origin Stories Unravel:
  Dave offers fanciful and contradictory stories about the lampshade’s provenance, from wartime relics to a Lower Ninth Ward find post-Katrina, influenced by documentaries and possibly opportunism (26:15–26:29).

5. What Now? Ethics, Memory, and Doubt (27:35–36:00)

• Museums Decline the Artifact:
  Both the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem reject the lampshade: lacking definitive provenance and wishing not to perpetuate myths, and because Jewish law forbids keeping remains as artifacts (28:53, 29:25).
• The Mystery Deepens:
  Mark extends his research, delving into the lore of human skin artifacts, meeting veterans, deniers, collectors—even consulting musician Dr. John and searching for the elusive “Cheeky Felix,” rumored human-skin mask maker (32:21–33:44).
• Media Interest and New Tests:
  Mark’s book, The Lampshade (2010), draws further attention. A National Geographic documentary has new tests performed, this time concluding that the shade is cowhide (34:36).
• Conflicting Science, Lasting Horror:
  “I had two different DNA tests that didn’t agree.” – Mark Jacobson (35:33)

6. Endings and Unsolved Mysteries (36:00–End)

• What The Lampshade Symbolizes:
  To Skip, the object—whatever its literal facts—embodies humanity’s capacity for evil. "When stuff like this appears, it just reminds us of, you know, man's ability to be barbaric to his fellow man." – Skip Henderson (36:00)
• Mark’s Acceptance & Legacy:
  After years of investigation, Mark retains the lampshade, its secrets unresolved:
  "Sometimes you just feel like, well, that was a wild adventure." – Mark Jacobson (36:29)
  The lampshade is locked away, its location known only to Mark (36:44).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Unsettling Nature of the Lampshade:
  "It seems greasy, but it's not...translucent, kind of like an amber color...veining in this translucent membrane."
  – Skip Henderson (06:00)

• Reflections on Myth and Trauma:
  "How did kids in post war Queens come to believe Nazis had made Jews into lampshades?...It became a symbol of Nazi cruelty, a shorthand for everything unspeakable about the camps."
  – Jed Lipinski (14:07)

• On Investigating as a Writer:
  "You can either ignore it or you can try to dig into it. So being an industrious journalist type guy, I chose the latter."
  – Mark Jacobson (19:05)

• Museum Rejections:
  "[They] don't want any of these stories out there that might be urban myths. So they are against the idea that there was ever any soap...they're never going to admit that these things might have happened because it...belittles what they consider to be the real story."
  – Mark Jacobson (28:53)

• On the Enduring Mystery:
  "I did everything I possibly could do, and I looked at it from every single angle...that was a wild adventure."
  – Mark Jacobson (36:29)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-------| | 02:08 | Skip prepares for Katrina, evacuates to Montgomery | | 03:22 | Meeting Dave Dominici and buying the lampshade | | 04:21 | The claim: “That’s a Nazi lampshade” | | 06:00 | Physical description of the shade; suspicion aroused | | 07:19 | Lamp passed among friends, always returned | | 08:49 | Mark Jacobson becomes the lamp’s new custodian | | 13:47 | Childhood legends: Nazi atrocities, Buchenwald lore | | 17:34 | DNA results reveal human origin | | 21:04 | Skip’s horror at the results, turning to alcohol | | 23:29 | Dave’s jubilant reaction; criminal past revealed | | 26:15 | Fanciful, contradictory origin stories from Dave | | 27:35 | Search in the Lower Ninth Ward for lamp’s real source | | 28:53 | Holocaust Museum’s refusal to accept the lampshade | | 29:25 | Yad Vashem’s rationale for declining artifact | | 32:21 | Dr. John and the “Cheeky Felix” tip | | 34:36 | National Geographic test: cowhide, not human | | 36:00 | Philosophical reflections from Skip and Mark | | 36:44 | Mark reveals the lamp is in a safe, secret place |

Tone & Concluding Thoughts

Gone South’s characteristic blend of investigative tenacity and Southern gothic atmosphere is evident throughout. Both haunting and at times darkly humorous, the episode grapples with unsettling truths and unknowns, showing how trauma, rumor, and artifacts continue to shape the South and beyond. The lampshade’s journey—from Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, through the worlds of science and myth, to a hidden resting place—serves as a meditation on the enduring power of legends and the limits of certainty.

For further discussion, feedback, or story tips, listeners are invited to contact the Gone South team at gone south podcastmail.com.