A Photograph at Hanbury Street?

[admin tim]

Don't we wish.

Has anyone ever seen discussion on whether or not a photograph might have been taken of Annie Chapman in situ? Now that might have been the greatest crime scene photo ever.

But if not, why not? Why wouldn't the police have photographed that butcher's shambles? Surely they must have pondered it. You have the floor.

[Howard Brown]

IMHO, Chapman's murder ought to have been photographed...because her murder really kicked the Case into high gear.
I imagine it had something to do with the growing crowd outside on the street...or short sightedness on the part of the Met.

[Phillip Walton]

Probably because of the situation, the police had more 'control' over Millers Court what with it being the only 'indoor' killing. As How said a crowd had probably gathered adding to the problems of the police. I doubt if the police employed a full time photographer perhaps no photographer was available?

[Robert Linford]

I seem to recall the police made some plans of the site, but the drawings have since gone missing. So maybe there was a photo too.

[Phillip Walton]

Didn't the police also employ sketch artists as well. Don't forget that at the time photographic equipment was bulky and cumbersome. There may well have been some sketches among the missing plans mentioned by Robert. Weren't there some sketches made of some of the other victims 'in situ'.

[Cris Malone]

But if not, why not? Why wouldn't the police have photographed that butcher's shambles? Surely they must have pondered it. You have the floor.

I don't think it was considered. Phillips was in and out of there in 10 minutes - learning curve in a whole new type of murders. Phillips didn't even accompany the body to the dead house. A lot if things changed as things progressed.

I do believe that if even a mortuary photo of Chapman's mutilations existed some people's views of these murders would be different.

[Lynn Cates]

mutilations

Hello Cris. "I do believe that if even a mortuary photo of Chapman's mutilations existed some people's views of these murders would be different."

I'll say. In fact, MANY people.

Cheers.
LC

[Monty]

Don't we wish.

Has anyone ever seen discussion on whether or not a photograph might have been taken of Annie Chapman in situ? Now that might have been the greatest crime scene photo ever.

But if not, why not? Why wouldn't the police have photographed that butcher's shambles? Surely they must have pondered it. You have the floor.

Photographs were taken of dead bodies purely for identification purposes.

There were no refrigerated mortuaries, so bodies decomposed quickly, therefore photos were taken of the dead and kept at divisional stations for ID purposes.

Kelly is obviously the exception in the case of the Whitechapel murders. Maybe the fact she was found indoors enable the police apt opportunity to photographer her, utilising the French practice, however I also think there was concern about the condition of the remains, and the possibility that Kellys body may not survive the trip to the mortuary.

This conclusion is born from the fact that we do not have crime scene photos of murders committed after Kelly, which I feel was due to the fact they were all committed outside.

Monty