Collection

Photo showing detail of one of the telephone pole totems honoring murder victim Helen Hill. Shortly after New Orleans filmmaker Helen Hill was killed on January 4, 2007 these signs appeared on the telephone pole near the front door of her home at 2444 N. Rampart Street. Friends of Helen and her husband, Dr. Paul Gailiunas, and their 2-year-old son, Francis, left flowers, candles, photos and other tributes at a makeshift altar set up on the sidewalk in front of the house. Gailiunas was shot twice in the attack while protecting his son from the gunman.He and the child survived the home invasion. Complete text of the sign: \"HELEN You planted a seed in my heart and I will keep the flower that grew from it for the rest of my life.\" The petals of the flower at the top are decorated with the words hope, joy, generosity, kindness, caring and creative.\r\nThe sign was later removed from the telephone pole and attached to the front of Hill & Gailiunas\' flooded, gutted house on Cleveland Avenue in Mid-City.