The ALLEGED photograph of Mary Jane Kelly

[Sally]

Red

I think Bridget's hair looks as though it might have been red - maybe if this is Mary Kelly hers was just a darker version.

I have some vaugue notion of seeing a facial reconstruction of Kelly somewhere - perhaps on this site? Sorry that's not very specific.

Perhaps somebody else remembers it better than I do and where to find it - I don't know how accurate that could be but maybe it'd be worth comparison with the photograph?

Just a thought.

[Semper_Eadem]

I think Bridget's hair looks as though it might have been red - maybe if this is Mary Kelly hers was just a darker version.

I have some vague notion of seeing a facial reconstruction of Kelly somewhere - perhaps on this site? Sorry that's not very specific.

Perhaps somebody else remembers it better than I do and where to find it - I don't know how accurate that could be but maybe it'd be worth comparison with the photograph?

Just a thought.

Hi Sally, Bridget's hair does look like it might be cooper red or light auburn. Perhaps Mary might not dyed her hair but lightened it or done nothing at all to her hair or this isn't our Mary? Did women tint their hair? Was hair tint cheap and readily available.

[Sally]

Hi Sally, Bridget's hair does look like it might be cooper red or light auburn. Perhaps Mary might not dyed her hair but lightened it or done nothing at all to her hair or this isn't our Mary? Did women tint their hair? Was hair tint cheap and readily available.

Hi Semper

The lady in the Mary photograph does look like she has dark hair yes; but I wonder how easy it would be to tell what colour that was, exactly? Not very, I'd think; and at least part of her head would be in shadow from that hat, which would make it look darker.

[Cogidubnus]

The lady in the Mary photograph does look like she has dark hair yes; but I wonder how easy it would be to tell what colour that was, exactly? Not very, I'd think; and at least part of her head would be in shadow from that hat, which would make it look darker.

That is a very good thought...especially as the underside of the hat itself is tonally just as dark in appearance.

Dave

[Rob Clack]

When Fiona Kendall did her talk at the Whitechapel Society a few years back she claimed Mary Kellys hair was a tissue colour.

Rob

[Cogidubnus]

I suppose, like many of us here, I'd love it to be an image of MJK...so far though, the balance of informed opinion seems to indicate to the contrary...I guess I have to remind myself to keep an open mind though, because this tale may well have a time to run yet!

Thanks Chris S for all your efforts and for sharing this with us...

I look forward to hearing anything you can raise about the photograph itself - I was impressed by the expertise shown by some posters regarding cardstock, corners etc and this may well offer the only way forward...

fascinating thread

Dave

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Rob

What's a "tissue colour"...could she have meant a "Titian colour"?

Dave

[Semper_Eadem]

Hi Semper

The lady in the Mary photograph does look like she has dark hair yes; but I wonder how easy it would be to tell what colour that was, exactly? Not very, I'd think; and at least part of her head would be in shadow from that hat, which would make it look darker.

Hi Sally,

True and add to that theory the sitters hair might be lighter as I said earlier, the sitter's eyebrows appear lighter then her hair.

Geo~

[Rob Clack]

Hi Rob

What's a "tissue colour"...could she have meant a "Titian colour"?

Dave

Could have. It was a few years back so I could be misremembering exactly, but it definitely sounded like tissue. I had a conversation with Debs at the time about it. And she said it was a red colour.

Rob

[Cogidubnus]

Yes Rob..."titian" applied to hair generally means red...and yes semper, I agree the eyebrows look far more medium in tone, so possibly more likely to be red...(I have a red-headed daughter and grandaughter...so I ought to know!)

All the best

Dave

[lynn cates]

flaxen

Hello Dave, Rob. Flaxen perhaps?

Cheers.
LC

[Cogidubnus]

Ear

Could well be Lynn...(daughters a "ginger", grandaughter's coppery-titian!)

The eyebrows definitely look somewhat flaxen!

Dave

[Semper_Eadem]

Little tidbit, I always took the term flaxen to mean bright blond.. I always thought of Mary as having chestnut hair, a light brown perhaps with reddish tints?

[Sally]

Actually, yes, her eyebrows are quite light - if her hair was black, it would look a bit odd. So maybe her air was lighter than it looks to be in the photograph?

[Cogidubnus]

Yes nowdays semper...think it covered a wider range from mid-blonde to ginger historically though...on balance I prefer "titian" actually Lynn!!

Dave