Ripperologist 92: June 2008

[AdamNeilWood]

Coming to an email inbox near you within the next 48 hours will be issue 92 of Ripperologist magazine, bursting at the seams with news, views and reviews.

The undoubted highlight of the issue - and possibly year so far in Ripper circles - is the publication of the first-known photograph of a major suspect.

All will be revealed shortly... but beware, we have permission to publish this photograph just once, in the pages of Ripperologist, so it won't be appearing on these or any other boards.

To be among the first to see the image, subscribe now.

We also reveal details of the Beadle Prize, a new annual research competition in Jeremy's name, and pay tribute to our own Wilf Gregg, who sadly passed away recently.


Best wishes
Adam Wood
Executive Editor,
Ripperologist magazine

https://www.ripperologist.info

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

I haven't seen it, but this is a MAJOR find.
Even if I am not suspect-oriented, a photograph of Tumblety (a man previously only seen on pamphlets and press illustrations) has to be one of those curiousities that still makes this subject so fascinating to study (I wonder if Stewart P Evans fainted when he heard the news). Seems like things are happening all the time now, and I certainly like this kind of stuff.
First Lawende, now this. One wonder if Aaron Kosminki is next?

Indeed, my sincere congratulations to the researcher who stumbled over it, and to the Ripperologist for being the first to publish it.

All the best

[David Knott]

It was worth the subscription just to see a photo of that moustache. I never realised such a growth was physically possible.

[dougie]

Particularly enjoyed the "Bucks row re-visited" article,Ill be looking forward to the next in that particular series.Keep up the good work!
regards

[Ally]

Haven't read the mag yet, but did of course turn to take a look at the photo. An excellent find and congratulations to Tim for the find.

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Indeed a very impressive moustache, David, but I've seen several of that kind on photos from the old Wild West, where it appears to have been a common style. Maybe it was especially popular in America rather than in the UK?
I have to say I am amazed by the technical quality of the photo. Indeed a spectacular find. I appears to be dated round 1871, from what I understand.

And look at that uniform. If that man's not a poser, I don't know who is! Certainly confirms much of what's been assumed about Tumblety's flamboyant apparence.

I am actually not at all surprised over that a photo of Tumblety finally has surfaced. Considering his attention-seeking, media-loving character, it would be odd if he hadn't used the camera at some point to show off.

All the best

[The Grave Maurice]

I'm surprised at how normal looking he is. Some of the sketches tend to make him look a tad odd. Except for the ridiculous 'tache, he was a good looking chap.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Grave Maurice,

Normal? Define normal.

Tumblety looks like an early incarnation of Elton John who, in the early 1970s, would appear in one of those spiked German helmets.

Maybe Tumblety had an early rock band—FT and the Cottage Boys.

Regards,

Simon

[Jeff Leahy]

I haven't seen it, but this is a MAJOR find.
Even if I am not suspect-oriented, a photograph of Tumblety (a man previously only seen on pamphlets and press illustrations) has to be one of those curiousities that still makes this subject so fascinating to study (I wonder if Stewart P Evans fainted when he heard the news). Seems like things are happening all the time now, and I certainly like this kind of stuff.
First Lawende, now this. One wonder if Aaron Kosminki is next?

Indeed, my sincere congratulations to the researcher who stumbled over it, and to the Ripperologist for being the first to publish it.

All the best

Or a close relative....I will have to buy this one...hooked

[AdamNeilWood]

Judging by the comments above, the discovery of the first known photograph of suspect Francis Tumblety has quite rightly earned Tim Riordan a generous round of applause, and we at Ripperologist are proud that Tim chose us to publish his outstanding research and the results in The Nine Lives of Dr Tumblety.

But that's not all for Rip 92!

In A Prize for Jeremy, Christopher T. George uses his editorial to announce our new annual competition, which we hope will generate further top-notch research and articles of the kind enjoyed so much by Mr Beadle.

We start a new illustrate series of the canonical murder sites with Buck’s Row Revisited – A brief history of Durward Street, followed by A Jolly Good Knees Up by Jane Coram, who vividly describes a night out at the London music hall.

Lavaughn Towell explains how he teaches ‘Jack the Ripper’s London’ to students at his University of Tulsa class, before we sadly say farewell to the gentleman of true crime, our own Wilf Gregg.

Jenni Pegg's Whitechapel Times and Chris Scott's Press Trawl lead to our reporting of the very latest news and reviews to round off the issue.

Would you like to write for Ripperologist? We'd love to hear from you - and you could win £100! Send your ideas to contact@ripperologist.info

Best wishes,
Adam Wood
Executive Editor,
Ripperologist

6 all-colour issues direct to your email inbox for just £12. Subscribe now!

https://www.ripperologist.info

[Supe]

I would just like to add that while the Tumblety photograph is an amazing find, it should not obscure the fact that Tim's article is, itself, a fascinating look at Tumblety's life through his own writings (and extensive "borrowings"). As has been discussed elsewhere on these boards recently in the case of Maj. Henry Smith, autobiographies may not be the most accurate history, but they do reveal much about the mind of the writer. Tumblety's autobiographical pamphlets certainly do.

Don..

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

That's a good point, Don.

All the best

[Natalie Severn]

I would just like to add that while the Tumblety photograph is an amazing find, it should not obscure the fact that Tim's article is, itself, a fascinating look at Tumblety's life through his own writings (and extensive "borrowings"). As has been discussed elsewhere on these boards recently in the case of Maj. Henry Smith, autobiographies may not be the most accurate history, but they do reveal much about the mind of the writer. Tumblety's autobiographical pamphlets certainly do.

Don..

Not to gloss over the really brilliant photo find and Tim"s very interesting article,I find it very tiresome Don that by referencing Major Smith"s autobiography you are keeping going only Smith"s inaccuracies when in point of fact there are many other "inaccuracies" in the autobiographies by the other Police Chiefs--its as though only Major Smith"s autobiography presents examples of faulty memory,whereas Macnaghten and Anderson were equally guilty of the "faulty memory syndrome "in their autobiographies--- and on quite crucial information too!As I have mentioned before,at least Henry Smith had the decency to take Anderson to task over the anti-semitism that ran through his comments in the chapter that dealt with the Ripper-especially over Anderson"s ghastly "low class Polish Jews"-theory---ie the one about the shielding of the Ripper.

[Supe]

Nats,

Please accept my apologies for my infelicitous phrasing in the post. I sought only to single our Smith in the sense that when I posted there was still a worthy discussion underway elsewhere on the boards about Smith and his autobiography. I had hoped that by using the plural in "autobiographies may not be the most accurate history, but they do reveal much about the mind of the writer" that it would be clear I meant the genre in general.

Indeed, as I said to you in private just the other day, it is a good possibility that Smith's main agendum in writing his autobiography was to entertain, which may have meant making good stories better. And that would be in contrast to some of the other important players in the JtR investigation.

In any case, I'm sorry I gave the impression that I was only focusing on Maj. Smith as that was not my intent. In fact, my only intent was to draw attention to Tim's darn fine article in a darn fine issue.

Don.

[Jon Guy]

Thoroughly enjoyed the article on Bucks Row.

I do hope that George Yard, Castle Alley and Swallow Gardens are covered at some point in the future ?