A useful tip from a graphologist

[Callmebill]

A useful tip from a graphologist mate - although obviously scale isn't taken into account, is to use a transparent, gridded, layer over handwriting samples. In this image, it is clearly seen that Dear Boss and Saucy Jack are by the same hand. It does show angle, spacing, size relative to a comparison sample.

[Ozzy]

This always confuses me.

Now from what I understand, reading books etc on the Ripper since the 1970s (Stephen Knight), there's a good chance the letter and the post card were penned by the same person.

What I don't get is coming to the conclusion they are by the same hand by just going on the writing itself.

I know in the 1970s at school I was taught schoolboy Round hand (wikipedia link)

If the class were given a sentence to write out, my version would look very very similar to most, if not all, of the rest of the class. If the teacher collected all the class' Round hand exercise books in, I'd only know mine when returned because it had my name on the front, and maybe a few doodles on the cover!

To me, whoever penned the Dear Boss letter and Saucy Jacky postcard was using Round hand as they'd learnt in school, rather than using their own writing. They didn't want to get caught did they.

[PRB]

I've seen complete strangers' handwriting that is more similar to mine than those two 'Central News' samples are to each other.

The top one is smooth, unflustered and confident. The bottom one looks like it was written by a child.

[Sam Flynn]

I've seen complete strangers' handwriting that is more similar to mine than those two 'Central News' samples are to each other.

The top one is smooth, unflustered and confident. The bottom one looks like it was written by a child.

The first one is almost a photographic reproduction,, the second a copy with the contrast turned right up, making it look somewhat rougher than it is. Also, Dear Boss was written in pen and ink on a paper envelope, whilst Saucy Jacky was written in crayon on a cardboard postcard. These factors alone would account for any (slight) differences in execution and appearance.

[Busy Beaver]

Would crayons be expensive in 1888 or relatively cheap? Perhaps the author of the letters had children, or had a sister or family member who was a school teacher and could get access to "art" materials.

[Joshua Rogan]

In case anyone was wondering, the "crayon" used to write the Saucy Jack postcard was (I believe) made of chalk rather than wax.

[Pcdunn]

Would crayons be expensive in 1888 or relatively cheap? Perhaps the author of the letters had children, or had a sister or family member who was a school teacher and could get access to "art" materials.

According to the Crayola website:

"
Crayola did not invent the crayon. Records show that Europe was the birthplace of the "modern" crayon. The first crayons were made from a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the sticks sturdier and easier to handle.

Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith in 1902 and first offered for sale in 1903. Alice (Stead) Binney, a school teacher and wife of co-founder Edwin Binney, suggested the company manufacture an inexpensive alternative to imported crayons of that era."

My mother was an artist who used pastels, an art supply that dates back decades, and is probably an example of the "powdered pigments and oil" drawing stick. So, no, wax crayons didn't exist in 1888, but chalk and pastels did.

[Sam Flynn]

In case anyone was wondering, the "crayon" used to write the Saucy Jack postcard was (I believe) made of chalk rather than wax.

Oddly enough, the word "crayon" turns out to be derived from the Latin for chalk...

crayon, noun [French crayon, deriv. of craie:- Latin creta chalk.]

1. A pointed stick or pencil of coloured chalk or other material, for drawing.

- Oxford English Dictionary