Mortuary Photographs

[Robert]

Hi Jukka and Rob

I doubt if we'd get an idea of what she looked like, even after the doctors had done their work.

It's very sad.

[Rob Clack]

Hello Rob...just flicking through your book P132..but cant find any further info/ref on Joseph Martin. Was he employed by City Met or subcontracted?

Just wondering if he had his own studio or whether anyone had checked with the family for negatives?

just a thought

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Joseph Martin was a professional photographer with a studio at 11 Cannon Street Road (which no longer stands). He was employed by the Met or City Police but hired out his services to the Met Police, specifically 'H' Division, but he may have been used by some of the other Eastern Divisions ('J', 'K' and 'G'). I doubt if the City Police used him but I can't say for certain.
His family is a bit hard to trace because 'Martin' is quite common.
You can find more information about Joseph Martin here:

http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rn-photographer.html

And also Robert McLaughlin's book 'The First Jack the Ripper Victim Photographs' should be on every serious collectors bookshelf.

Rob

[Rob Clack]

Hi Jukka and Rob

I doubt if we'd get an idea of what she looked like, even after the doctors had done their work.

It's very sad.

Hi Robert,

True, we wont get an accurate idea of how she looked but we might get a rough idea on the shape of the face, jaw and ears.

Rob

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Robert!

Yes, like I asked earlier, what could we see beside the scars?!

But one never knows, if there are some personal features...

One thing needing more specialized people than we are, is, for example;

Could a face be swollen or something, while needing such a stitch-up?!

All the best
Jukka

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Couldn't help still continuing this;

Do you find it possible, that in the stitched-up photos there could be something like the modern car-crash face?!

All the best
Jukka

[Mike Covell]

I am quite suprised that Robert J McLaughlin has not been on this thread.

In his excellent book "The First Jack the Ripper Victim photographs" he shows that one of the MJK photo's was taken by French photographer Alexandre Lacassagne. It's possible the pictures may well exsist in France!!

[George Hutchinson]

Hi, Mike. I need to clarify here for people who don't realise that you don't mean Lacassagne was the photographer. You mean that Lacassagne obtained a copy.

One thing I'm going to ask - I can check but this will save doing it - MJK3. It appears we have an image looking down. Maybe not that easy with plate photography. We also have the issue of getting the tripod behind the bed, along with Martin.

I've always assumed that MJK3 was also a glass plate, but is it possible this was taken with a second camera, maybe on the newly invented Kodak film? Not a theory - it's a question.

PHILIP

[Uncle Jack]

Sorry it is so rubbish but I had a go using PAINT of a face fit of what MJK may have looked like, sort of like a reconstruction. It focuses more on the face injuries and wounds. I am hopeless on things photoshop so I can only created lame things on PAINT so this is my bad effort. Lol. I got the template of an image search.



The Original

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Uncle Jack!

Your view of MJK's face is as good as any!

Though; she could have had a face like that before her East End days!

But we all trying to catch her outlook tend to do this...

All the best
Jukka