Mary Kelly....Penny Illustrated

[Malcolm X]

i wouldn't mind betting that this illustration from Penny Illustrated is fairly accurate, some of their other illustrartions look very good too

[Jane Coram]

Hi,

Well facially, it's possibly a passable version of what Mary looked like, although it could only have been drawn from witness descriptions - but unfortunately the rest of the outfit she is wearing is not at all accurate (at least to the best of our knowledge). As far as we know Mary never wore a hat and probably didn't own one, and by the looks of it she didn't have an outdoor coat either.

On the night she was killed she was wearing a skimpy little shawl of maroon wool, and a linsey frock of very cheap quality. It was cold and raining, a miserable night all round, and if she had possessed a hat and decent coat, she would certainly have been wearing it on a night like that.

Some have suggested that she might not have been wearing it because she was trying to pick up clients and being bundled up in a hat and coat would have put them off a bit, which is a fair point, but it seems more likely that she didn't own them or if she had once, she had pawned them for cash.

It's interesting that amongst the clothes the Maria Harvey left there was a woman's crepe bonnet. I wonder why Mary didn't put that on when she went out?

Hugs

Jane

xxxxx

PS, the coat that Mary is wearing in that illustration is an Ulster coat - which is the type that Polly Nichols was wearing on the night she was killed.

[Mr.Hyde]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_coathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_coat

[Bob Hinton]

Wrong window

The illustration is also showing the wrong window pane broken. The broken one was the upper right.

[Malcolm X]

thanks

my guess is that Mary was average looking, but not beautiful, because if so she might not have ended up destitute and living in Millers court........some rich gent would've looked after her/ taken her away etc..... but i'm only guessing here.

mind you, living in that squalor meant that she would'nt have looked at her best anyway, far from it.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Here comes a point from one of my non-ripperologist friends after seeing the illustration;

"Now, that looks like an adolescent kid's face!"

All the best
Jukka

[Malcolm X]

Hello you all!

Here comes a point from one of my non-ripperologist friends after seeing the illustration;

"Now, that looks like an adolescent kid's face!"

All the best
Jukka

yes she looks very young.

[perrymason]

The illustration is also showing the wrong window pane broken. The broken one was the upper right.

Hi Bob,

Im not sure thats accurate Bob. There were 2 broken panes in Marys window....the frame contains either 3 rows of five panes, or 5 rows of three panes, I cant recall at this moment...but that is only clearly seen in enhanced photos of the alcove view of her windows.

The pane that Barnett used was in the lower right corner, maybe second from the bottom...and the other pane broken is in the upper left section. Its unclear which was supposedly broken by the alleged fight between Mary and Joe...but I suggest that the location of the pane that is used to access the latch seems very convenient for people who had lost their room key.

My guess is that the upper left pane is the one that was broken accidentally....by something being thrown through it.

Im almost 100% sure that the window details are correct though Bob.

Best regards

[Dr. John Watson]

The illustration is also showing the wrong window pane broken. The broken one was the upper right.

I seem to recall there were two broken panes in that window, the larger one on top and a smaller hole in the pane immediately beneath it. I have a high quality copy of the police photo in which you can make out two broken panes.

[perrymason]

I seem to recall there were two broken panes in that window, the larger one on top and a smaller hole in the pane immediately beneath it. I have a high quality copy of the police photo in which you can make out two broken panes.

Hi Doc,

I hadnt heard that the panes were located directly above or below each other, as I said, I thought one is located in the left hand upper part of the window, in one small pane within the frame, and the latch one is lower right.

If you could put your pic up here that might help.

Best regards.

[Robert]

I don't see that face as young. I always think of Mae West when I see that pic.

I've often thought that Mary would have donned the pilot coat for wandering around in the rain. I don't quite see how it would have put the punters off. If her dress was up to the neck - and I've gained the impression that the low-cut dresses are a feature only of films - then there'd be nothing much for the punters to see anyway.

[Sam Flynn]

I don't see that face as young. I always think of Mae West when I see that pic.

It must be the hand on the hip, Rob - for the same reason, it always puts me in mind of Larry Grayson.

[Jon Guy]

It must be the hand on the hip, Rob - for the same reason, it always puts me in mind of Larry Grayson.

..and the catchphrase shut that door!!! His last words, apparently.

[Robert]

Yes, shame he's gone.

[Mr.Hyde]

Mr.Hyde

It must be the hand on the hip, Rob - for the same reason, it always puts me in mind of Larry Grayson.

Not going there!
Only kidding.