The Broken Window

[mariab]

I realise that this is not quite the right thread thematically, but I assume that if I start a new thread or burry this information in any of the old threads about the Mary Kelly scene photographs, it might remain unnoticed.
I did a little search in Paris today, and located a printed catalogue of Aléxandre Lacassagne's collection of papers (which are currently located at the Bibliothèque municipale in Lyon), allegedly 222 p. long, but I suspect that this is a typo and it essentially means 22 p., as the same catalogue is listed elsewhere as 24 p. long. (Plus 222 pages is a little EXTREMELY massive for a catalogue, despite the fact that French criminologist Aléxandre Lacassagne was an extremely and admirably prolific scientist, author of – among tons of other books and essays in criminal psychology and forensic medicine – Jacques l'éventreur et les crimes sadiques, 1899.) In addition to this catalogue I located the catalogue for an exhibition which took place at the Bibliothèque municipale in Lyon from January 27 to May 15, 2004: Aléxandre Lacassagne: le médécin et le criminel, 1843-1924. I've no idea of if anyone on casebook has been aware of this exhibition.
Can you imagine the (off, off, off) eventuality of the original photos of the Mary Kelly scene having been displayed among the materials in this exhibition?!?! I'm about to investigate this further next week. I might be able to have a look at the exhibition catalogue on Monday already.

To Rob Clack:
Hi Rob, I'll email you with more details on this soon. I'm also researching Adrien Stock, the editor for all Lacassagne works in Lyon. From Stock's own writings (sometimes under the pen name Gérôme Coquard or Coquart) it strongly appears that he was Jewish, literate, and proficient in medical science. I'll try to find out if any dépôt for his publishing house has survived. Plus I've asked my boss, who was recently in Lyon, to ask around about the Lacassagne family (as I've spotted the name locally on a census search). The fun part is, I didn't even explain him why I'm interested in this, making him an accidental Ripperologist in the process! Were there to be any Lacassagne antecedents in Lyon, it might be worth a shot asking them also about the papers of Adrien Storck, Lacassagne's editor.

[Debra A]

Just out of interest, was this sketch of Millers' Court from Lloyd's Weekly 2nd Sept 1907 done from the photograph posted on this thread does anyone know? I think it looks like it was judging by the smashed pane of glass in the upper part of the window and the flat tray type object laying on the ground.
The sketch was included in the article 'My Criminal Museum by George R Sims'



Good work on your above post, Maria, sounds interesting.

[mariab]

Hi Debra,
Well, let's see if the exhibition catalogue (which I hope to be able to see tomorrow) contains any photographs and any detailed captions. I might even try contacting the 3 people who organized this exhibition in Lyon in 2004.
As for the general catalogue of the entire Lacassagne papers, it's located at a BN department a bit faraway from where I am, tomorrow I'll try to see if I can have it relocated close to me, and if not possible, I'll just go and see it.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Debs,

Thanks for posting this. As a slight aside, if this article is from 1907, and included in the Sims article, can we connect this with the photograph, found by Don Rumbelow, datewise?

best wishes

Phil

[mariab]

Lacassagne's book was called Vacher l'éventreur et les crimes sadiques, not Jacques l'éventreur et les crimes sadiques! (Apologies, I was a bit out of it last night.)

[Debra A]

Hello Debs,

Thanks for posting this. As a slight aside, if this article is from 1907, and included in the Sims article, can we connect this with the photograph, found by Don Rumbelow, datewise?

best wishes

Phil

Hi Phil,
Good question.
Personally, I do think this 1907 sketch is based on the exterior photograph of Miller's Court discovered by Donald Rumbelow. They are almost identical.
We know Sims had been given copies of some of the police photographs including the Miller's Court interior crime scene shot, so it's possible that this was also one of his collection and was reproduced in Lloyd's, although I'm not certain of that.


Good luck, Maria!