Donald Kimfull played an intricate part in the story of Billie Carleton's relationship with cocaine and opium, her subsequent death, and the ensuing court case involving Reginald DeVeuille. An old assocoiate of Reginald De Veuille, Donald was involved in the purchase and supply of cocaine from the Lisle Street Pharmacy. He managed to sidestep the court hearings and ensuing media frenzy and largely disappeared from the historical records in 1918.
Several accounts, including April Ashley's autobiography, testify to Donald Kimfull's resurection as the proprietor of the bar in Tangiers known as Dean's Bar. A watering hole and haunt for spys and litery types, Dean's Bar provided the blue print for the film Casablanca. The image on the left is Dean's Bar as it is today, whilst the image below left reveals the last resting place of Donald Kimfull in the grounds of St. Andrew's Church, Tangiers.
The Museum Of Drugs Paraphernalia and Related Antiquities would like to thank Nicholas Kirschman for the generous donation of these two photographs from his personal collection.
The two images below show 'Joseph' Dean outside the legendery bar. Could this be the elusive Donald Kimfull who left London to reinvent himself in Tangiers amongst the numerous ex-patriots seeking similar transformation?
Below right is a contemporary depiction of Kimfull from a newspaper of the time, greeting Billie Carleton dressed in Egyptian atire and surrounded by bottles and potions.
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