How Brown
09-19-2007, 06:56 AM
1. In your day to day life, do you hear references to Jack The Ripper regularly...or infrequently?
Very infrequently. He just doesn’t crop up in my everyday life unless somebody who knows about my ‘hobby’ drops in a reference and that’s quite rare. My father is quite interested in the case (and true crime generally) so if we are socialising, he’ll occasionally bring it up and end up telling me how he thinks Maybrick is the most convincing suspect.
2. Do you think East Enders feel that the tours that Phil Hutchinson, Richard Jones and Don Rumbelow participate in irritate them or are they accustomed to them?
The antagonism towards Ripper tours by the residents of the East End has been documented often and there have certainly been incidents where they’ve made their disapproval known to the groups. After the centenary of the murders, local attitudes to JTR in general seemed to shift - the banning of big tour groups from the Ten Bells is one example - and there were stories of complaints about guides shouting out the gruesome details. That said, if you’re in Mitre Square at about 8 o’clock on a Sunday evening, do not be surprised if you see up to 4 large groups there. I’ve also seen residents of Wentworth Dwellings lean out of their window and good-naturedly photograph the groups standing in Goulston Street. The tours are immensely popular, though some steer clear of several important locations because they are residential areas, which is a pity, as the tourists really seem to enjoy seeing the actual sites for themselves. Morbid lot!
Supply and demand is what it is, I guess - and there is certainly the demand. I can’t see any amount of local disapproval stopping it.
I must admit, I wouldn’t mind having a go myself one day.
3. Are you a participant in the program that the Whitechapel Society is conducting to preserve old edifices and landmarks by photography? If so, could you share your experiences so far..
I entered the WS1888 photographic competition, so yes, I guess I am.
That said, I took my first photographs of the murder sites etc in 1986 and have been snapping merrily away ever since. I do regret not being a bit more snap-happy in the 80’s, but my camera was very limited. I have also lost a lot of them which I regret even more, but I’m hoping they will turn up. Nil desperandum.
There were still some good subjects around in those days - Durward Street was superb and most of the 18th century houses in Spitalfields still hadn’t been gentrified. Many of the older buildings that have since been renovated were in a dilapidated state and made for very interesting imagery. It changed pretty soon after that, mind.
4. Which landmark in the East End is the single most impressive to you for Ripper related reasons?
Twenty years ago, I would have said the area around Durward Street. You had the Board School, still around from the 1880’s and in a terrible state, the eerie desolation of the street (and Winthrop St) and to cap it all, Wood’s Buildings round the back. A nice collection of Ripperesque slumminess, all atmosphere and at times, menace.
Now I’d have to say the view of the Ten Bells and Christchurch from the end of what was Dorset Street, a view that has changed little in 200 years and an important locale in the Ripper saga.
Funnily enough, the best thing about the film From Hell for me was the excellent recreation of that view.
Ah, if only those two buildings could speak….
5. What’s the scoop with the Lusk Letter? Do you think it may be legitimate?
Impossible to say with any conviction. The whole subject of the Ripper letters is a fascinating one, granted, but I don’t believe anybody can prove that ANY of them came from the killer, or rather a person who was responsible for any one of the Whitechapel Murders.
I lean towards the probability that it was a practical joke, but then my gut instinct suggests that such a joker would have signed it ‘Jack the Ripper’ to lend it even more clout if that were so. Enclosing half a kidney clouds the issue further, so it’s all conjecture, I’m afraid. We don’t even know where the original is.
Incidentally, if anybody out there has it and their conscience is nagging them to get rid of it, my address is…… (tee hee).
Very infrequently. He just doesn’t crop up in my everyday life unless somebody who knows about my ‘hobby’ drops in a reference and that’s quite rare. My father is quite interested in the case (and true crime generally) so if we are socialising, he’ll occasionally bring it up and end up telling me how he thinks Maybrick is the most convincing suspect.
2. Do you think East Enders feel that the tours that Phil Hutchinson, Richard Jones and Don Rumbelow participate in irritate them or are they accustomed to them?
The antagonism towards Ripper tours by the residents of the East End has been documented often and there have certainly been incidents where they’ve made their disapproval known to the groups. After the centenary of the murders, local attitudes to JTR in general seemed to shift - the banning of big tour groups from the Ten Bells is one example - and there were stories of complaints about guides shouting out the gruesome details. That said, if you’re in Mitre Square at about 8 o’clock on a Sunday evening, do not be surprised if you see up to 4 large groups there. I’ve also seen residents of Wentworth Dwellings lean out of their window and good-naturedly photograph the groups standing in Goulston Street. The tours are immensely popular, though some steer clear of several important locations because they are residential areas, which is a pity, as the tourists really seem to enjoy seeing the actual sites for themselves. Morbid lot!
Supply and demand is what it is, I guess - and there is certainly the demand. I can’t see any amount of local disapproval stopping it.
I must admit, I wouldn’t mind having a go myself one day.
3. Are you a participant in the program that the Whitechapel Society is conducting to preserve old edifices and landmarks by photography? If so, could you share your experiences so far..
I entered the WS1888 photographic competition, so yes, I guess I am.
That said, I took my first photographs of the murder sites etc in 1986 and have been snapping merrily away ever since. I do regret not being a bit more snap-happy in the 80’s, but my camera was very limited. I have also lost a lot of them which I regret even more, but I’m hoping they will turn up. Nil desperandum.
There were still some good subjects around in those days - Durward Street was superb and most of the 18th century houses in Spitalfields still hadn’t been gentrified. Many of the older buildings that have since been renovated were in a dilapidated state and made for very interesting imagery. It changed pretty soon after that, mind.
4. Which landmark in the East End is the single most impressive to you for Ripper related reasons?
Twenty years ago, I would have said the area around Durward Street. You had the Board School, still around from the 1880’s and in a terrible state, the eerie desolation of the street (and Winthrop St) and to cap it all, Wood’s Buildings round the back. A nice collection of Ripperesque slumminess, all atmosphere and at times, menace.
Now I’d have to say the view of the Ten Bells and Christchurch from the end of what was Dorset Street, a view that has changed little in 200 years and an important locale in the Ripper saga.
Funnily enough, the best thing about the film From Hell for me was the excellent recreation of that view.
Ah, if only those two buildings could speak….
5. What’s the scoop with the Lusk Letter? Do you think it may be legitimate?
Impossible to say with any conviction. The whole subject of the Ripper letters is a fascinating one, granted, but I don’t believe anybody can prove that ANY of them came from the killer, or rather a person who was responsible for any one of the Whitechapel Murders.
I lean towards the probability that it was a practical joke, but then my gut instinct suggests that such a joker would have signed it ‘Jack the Ripper’ to lend it even more clout if that were so. Enclosing half a kidney clouds the issue further, so it’s all conjecture, I’m afraid. We don’t even know where the original is.
Incidentally, if anybody out there has it and their conscience is nagging them to get rid of it, my address is…… (tee hee).