Photos of Hanbury Street and Mitre Square

[spyglass]

Drummonstreet,
Thanks for that, although for some reason i could only see one photo. Didnt realise there were more in the series. Will go back and try again.

[DrummondStreet]

Spyglass: The slideshow is located below the large image. The first three photos are of Hanbury St. Mitre Square starts at #4.

[Stephen Thomas]

The link below (found by Nemo in the light of an image I posted) has some 1970s images of Hanbury Street and Mitre Square I had not seen before

http://www.photographyblog.com/galle...east-end&cat=2

Many thanks to Nemo and Chris. Seeing 40 year old colour photos of Mitre Square has disoriented me a little and I have a couple of questions, well 3 actually......

1. Is the corner with the parked cars the murder spot?

2. Was the building to the left of the cars the same in 1888? I seem to remember that on the contemporary Goad map there is a proposed basement extension.

3. On the Mitre Street photos is that Mitre Square in the background?

[DrummondStreet]

1. Is the corner with the parked cars the murder spot?

Yes. Between 1888 and the 1970s, the sidewalk was trimmed backed. The location of Eddowes' body would have been somewhere between the noses of the white car and black one.

2. Was the building to the left of the cars the same in 1888? I seem to remember that on the contemporary Goad map there is a proposed basement extension.

The building to the left of the cars is part of the old Kearley & Tonge complex. In 1888, it was Horner & Sons. I don't know if Kearley moved into Horner's old building or built a new structure soon after the murders in the late 19th Century. I bet Rob Clack would know.

3. On the Mitre Street photos is that Mitre Square in the background?

Yes, and the fenced in area marks the former location of house numbers 5-9 which were torn down sometime between 1945 and 1960. They were NOT damaged during the Blitz, btw.

Hope this helps.

[spyglass]

Drummondstreet,

Thanks for the earlier tip..have managed to see all photos ( dont know how i missed them )
Was there a couple if weeks back...and oh how its changed.

[DrummondStreet]

Spyglass, glad you found the rest of them. I went on the JtR tour back in 1998. Mitre Square was bit disorienting as it was so dark and I was stuck in a crowd of >100 tourists. I wish I had studied the maps/photos before going on the tour, but realistically, many of the mood-setting old photos we have today weren't as accessible back then.

Rumbelow pointed to the flower bed and said Eddowes body was found just behind the bench. Nothing was left in terms of the 19th buildings, but I still wish I had taken the tour during daylight hours to get a better feel of what I was seeing.

[Stephen Thomas]

Hope this helps.

It certainly does, DS. Thanks very much.

[Rob Clack]

The building to the left of the cars is part of the old Kearley & Tonge complex. In 1888, it was Horner & Sons. I don't know if Kearley moved into Horner's old building or built a new structure soon after the murders in the late 19th Century. I bet Rob Clack would know.

It's the original building as far as I am aware. A few alterations over the years but essentially the same.

Rpb

[DrummondStreet]

Rob, thanks. I was hoping you would see this thread.

[Bridewell]

Drummondstreet,

Was there a couple if weeks back...and oh how its changed.

Can you still access Mitre Square or has it gone now?

[Stephen Thomas]

Can you still access Mitre Square or has it gone now?

Hi Bridewell

Mitre Square will always be there though the buildings around it may change.

I believe that there is some redevelopment in progress at the moment.

Hi Rob

Having checked the 1888 illustrations on your photo archive here I can see that the low wall topped by a fence that was there back then and was still there on Cullen's 1965 photo has been taken away to provide a small parking space. There is also showing on the 70s photos an external fire escape which is not depicted on the 1888 drawings.

[Observer]

Hi

Going to look something like this?

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/pictur..._pic1.jpg&no=1

[Rob Clack]

Hi Rob

Having checked the 1888 illustrations on your photo archive here I can see that the low wall topped by a fence that was there back then and was still there on Cullen's 1965 photo has been taken away to provide a small parking space. There is also showing on the 70s photos an external fire escape which is not depicted on the 1888 drawings.

Hi Stephen,

I don't know the exact date of Tom Cullen's photo but it would be pre 1961 as the wall is not on Philip's Whitby photos taken in 1961.
Not sure when the external fire escape was built but it would be between 1961 and 1967.

Regards

Rob

[DrummondStreet]

Where can I find Philip Whitby's photos? From that period, I only remember a single Cullen photo dated 1961 which is a close up of Eddowes' corner with a wooden gate and the brick remainder wall.

OK, just found the Whitby photo in Rob's book. I agree that Cullen's photo must be pre-1961. In Whitby's Sep. 1961 photo, the curb that extended from K&T to the brick remainder wall (of houses 8 and 9) had been excised (presumably for car access). The curb is intact in Cullen's photo.

Are there larger images of Whitby's photos?

[Monty]

To clarify,

Rob is referring to John Gordon Whitbys photos Phillip Hutchinson bought to light via Margaret Green, Johns niece.

Not Philip Whitby.

There was a similar fire escape on the old Williams and Co Building K&T bought.

Weren't the empty cottages damaged in a gas explosion in the 50s?


Monty