JTR Exhibition in Docklands

[auspirograph]

Thanks Neal,

So the Maybrick 'diary' is aired but the lives of the victims were socially atypical. Odd, very odd indeed...

[Monty]

Neal,

Do you know if any of the relatives are aware of this exhibition?

I wonder if they would attend.

Monty

[Neal Shelden]

Its fair comment Neal..as you know we need a decent documentary to re-address that....let's hope it happens...

As you say from that point of view the exhibision is rather old fassioned.

Yeah mate, and I've put out a question to the Eddowes family for another family reunion and told them about your interest, I'll hope it can happen and we can get something on film this time.

[Neal Shelden]

Its difficult Neal..because this exhibition could have been better, your correct..it did after all have top advisors..its just a shame perhaps that they didn't listen more to people who know about JtR..

However ten years ago this exhibition simply wouldn't have happened at all...it is to the credit of people like yourself, Paul, Don, Stewart that this subject is being taken seriously at long last...

I guess your just all ahead of your time...

If it wets the public appetite..rest assured there will be more in the future....

but for now I urge everyone to check it out..if only for the letters..which are all fake by the way

Yours Jeff

P.S. hope you recovered from the steak..fab to see you both

I had lamb in the evening and it was so raw it almost walked off

[Jeff Leahy]

Its fair comment Neal..as you know we need a decent documentary to re-address that....let's hope it happens...

As you say from that point of view the exhibision is rather old fassioned.

[Neal Shelden]

In fact, what this exhibition does have of the victims is the mortuary pictures and the simple fact mentioned that these women were prostitutes, which I and other researchers have spent the best part of two decades attempting to change the way people think about them. They were surely more than just prostitutes and corpses, but this exhibition will leave the uninformed observer thinking that thats all they were!

[Jeff Leahy]

Its difficult Neal..because this exhibition could have been better, your correct..it did after all have top advisors..its just a shame perhaps that they didn't listen more to people who know about JtR..

However ten years ago this exhibition simply wouldn't have happened at all...it is to the credit of people like yourself, Paul, Don, Stewart that this subject is being taken seriously at long last...

I guess your just all ahead of your time...

If it wets the public appetite..rest assured there will be more in the future....

but for now I urge everyone to check it out..if only for the letters..which are all fake by the way

Yours Jeff

P.S. hope you recovered from the steak..fab to see you both

[coral]

Thank you Neal

That is exactly how I feel.

Coral

[Natalie Severn]

Well Neal,I didnt go and see the actual exhibition and because of what you have written here I stand corrected about what I said.
I trust what you say.No exhibition on "Jack the Ripper" should be allowed to get away with "snubbing" or further "diminishing" the lives of Mary Anne Nichols,Annie Chapman,Elizabeth Stride,Catherine Eddowes or Mary Kelly. In this you are 100% correct
Lovely to see you and Jen too
Norma

[Monty]

Odd

Neal,

Surely the inclusion of the victims and their lives is essential.

Given that their lives epitomises the hard times the struggling women of the area endured. How Chapman ended up in Spitalfields is a tragic story as was her fight to survive.

I find that an odd decision.

Monty

[Tom_Wescott]

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Neal Shelden.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Neal Shelden]

I have to give an honest opinion that many would probably think "well he would say that" being a researcher on the victims, but the problem is that the victims are badly let down by this exhibition. It's almost like an exhibition that belongs in the 1980's, despite claims by the curators that there was no room for information about the victims or room for the Annie Chapman picture, there appeared to be empty spaces all over the exhibition walls.
I couldn't quite get to the real reason for why the curators decided to ignore the victims in this exhibition, Julia told me nothing. I suggested it was because the victims didn't come from the East End but I was told this wasn't the case. Julia did say that I would not be able to get the original photograph of Annie Chapman for the exhibition and in so many words a facsimile wouldn't be good enough, but I saw many facsimiles of documents in this exhibition.
I feel that the Police section is covered well enough and the social history, but having been to many exhibitions on different subjects I just felt this one could only manage a 3 out of 5 score at best. It's only 3 rooms long too, and I wasn't happy with that either when I went to the Velasquez exhibition at the National Gallery a year ago, you feel like you're not getting your money's worth.
The best thing in this exhibition in my view was the old fashioned ambulance and the painting by Gustav Dore, but the victims have been snubbed!
All in all, I have to say that I am someone that loves museums and if the only reason the Docklands Museum has called this exhibition "Jack the Ripper" is to make money in order to keep the museum going then I would be wrong to moan. Lets be honest, the only people who were going to moan was Ripperologists such as me, the public don't care when they go in and they'll be none the wiser when they leave and forget about it.
Spent a brilliant day listening to the talks with Robin, Paul, and Stuart, and then then an equally good after talks evening with the Evans', Paul, Adam, Rob, John, Norma, and the late arriving Jeff.

[Sam Flynn]

Sometimes I think this IS the local knitting circle.

I just dropped one.

...a stitch, I mean

[Chris George]

Time to find a new hobby Coral?

I am seriously thinking about doing so.

The local 'knitting circle' comes top of the list at the moment.



Coral

Hi Coral

Sometimes I think this IS the local knitting circle.

Chris

PS Could you email me the details of what email address to use to pay my Whitechapel Journal subscription by Paypal and how much I owe? Ta!

[Neal Shelden]

Indeed, Jen. It would have been interesting to bump into you and Neal as he was giving you his impartial view. (What's so funny about you asking Neal what he thought? I would have found it odder had you not done so.)

As it was, I wasn't there on Saturday so no chance of bumping into each other.

Love,

Caz
X

Caz, thanks for your confirmation that I always give Jen my impartial view, and I'm glad you got that off your chest

Love,
Neal