THE JACK THE RIPPER LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHS : Dutfield's Yard and the Whitby Collection

[Suzi]

Hmm not totally sure about M Addisson http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=390

[Stephen Thomas]

Could well be, Philip. The eyebrows, nose. mouth and chin and hair parting are quite similar to to the close-up picture on page 80 of your book

[jmenges]

I don't own Margaret Addison's Diary of a European Tour, 1900, tho I'll see if I can get a copy. I stumbled upon it while looking into the American Women's temperance movement and their penchant for taking Thomas Cook's European tours. Somehow (I'll go back through my search history) I stumbled on Marian De Forest, recognized the name from your book and noticed the facial similarities.

Whether she ever made the European Trip I have no idea, but I agree that there is a similar likeness in their features.

JM

[George Hutchinson]

JM - I'm very excited about this. I think it's possible we have her identified. I'm hedging my bets, as it won't be the first time, but the two photographs I can find of Marian De Forest are not dissimilar from those of the photographer. I have contacted the National Womens' Hall of Fame (she was inducted in 1998) and have some hope that we might get there. This could be the best Christmas present ever... if only I'd had this info before I wrote it!

I didn't find any online information about Marian De Forest when researching the book, only the nature author Julia B De Forest (who is named in full on the complimetary card given to guests in First Class for the probable return trip). Marian was very much alive in 1900 and 1917 and would've been in her mid-30s during the European trip.

Here's Marian De Forest :


PHILIP

[George Hutchinson]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Tom - of COURSE you are due acknowledgement in the book. Your piece in RN about Berner Street was a smashing piece of work and I referred to it in both my US and UK talks (citing the source and author).

JM - Do you have the book? The reason I ask this is that I actually refer to De Forest in the text. She was definitely on the very same outbound journey and very probably on the return journey (if that return journey fits my assumptions from the research and that final trip did NOT come direct from Naples but switched back to the Lucania at Queenstown or Liverpool). The problem with De Forest is that she died a few years later and whoever has written the text in the album appears to have been adding notes as late as 1917.

Does anyone have a photo of her? My work seems to just throw up the fact that she was an author on nature. (EDIT : Seems I'm confusing Marion with Julia B... let's see now...)

PHILIP

[Tom_Wescott]

I received my copy on Friday and read the whole thing in one sitting. That's very rare for me. I don't even read menus in one sitting! The photos were great and I enjoyed Philip's thoroughly detailed story of how he found the photos and set about his impressively thorough research. The only time I set the book down is when I read that he bought the Dutfield's Yard photo for only $5 off ebay. I needed a brief cooling off period after that. It was obvious that he wrote the text and chose not to use an editor, and this made the book read as though he were giving a talk. It also occurred to me that Philip bears a slight resemblance to Morrisey, but I digress...

I was shocked and flattered to find my name in the acknowledgements, and even more surprised to find myself mentioned in the text a couple of times. I'm not sure I agree with some of Philip's observations on the state of Ripperology, but I love the book and am delighted to have it in my collection. Thanks, Philip!

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[jmenges]

This might have been mentioned somewhere in the past, but...

For a little feel of what a Thomas Cook tour was like (and it appears that you could join in, then go off on your own, then rejoin later) is Margaret Addison's Diary of a European Tour, 1900. Pieces of it are in Google books, including her trip to London where she visits the East End and the People's Palace. She also brings her camera.

http://tiny.cc/EDf8J

Not that Margaret Addison is Philip's photographer, but I imagine it being someone very much like her. These trips were very popular for women in the temperance movement. One such prominent temperance leader from Buffalo NY was journalist, playwright and patron of the arts named Marion De Forest, by the way, who has a curiously upturned nose.

Maybe a thread should be set up to discuss the mysterious photographer. I find it a very interesting puzzle.

Great job, Phil!

JM

[Scotland Yard]

Just finished Philip's book and I thought it was absolutely fascinating.

The Duttfield's yard photograph is a magnificent contribution to the current info available on the case as well as being a little gem of a time capsule in its own right. Well researched and well written.

Recommended.

[Scotland Yard]

Scotland Yard,

Reid had the memory of a flea, but was certainly an interesting man. I think I should read that book again soon.

Yes, I like the fact that he wasn't beyond embellishing some of the
facts when he came to recalling his career. The tussle he describes whilst arresting the would-be wife-poisoner sounds very dramatic!

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi Philip

This is a super, very well written book that I enjoyed reading even though I already knew practically the entire contents from your illustrated talks at the Conference and WS Meeting. Well done.

Stephen

[Suzi]

Scotland Yard,

I love the Edmund Reid book. Nick Connell and Stewart Evans did a great job on that. It's full of neat little nuggets about the Ripper case. Reid had the memory of a flea, but was certainly an interesting man. I think I should read that book again soon. I remember when that first came out. It's one of those rare occassions when a book is eagerly anticipated for a long time and doesn't disappoint when it comes out. If only Richard Whittington-Egan would finally put his book out.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

P.S. My copy of Philip's book is taking it's sweet time getting to me. Should be any day now.

Hope it gets to you by Christmas Tom x

[Tom_Wescott]

Scotland Yard,

I love the Edmund Reid book. Nick Connell and Stewart Evans did a great job on that. It's full of neat little nuggets about the Ripper case. Reid had the memory of a flea, but was certainly an interesting man. I think I should read that book again soon. I remember when that first came out. It's one of those rare occassions when a book is eagerly anticipated for a long time and doesn't disappoint when it comes out. If only Richard Whittington-Egan would finally put his book out.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

P.S. My copy of Philip's book is taking it's sweet time getting to me. Should be any day now.

[Suzi]

Just finished it!!!! It's the Cat's Ass!!!- BEST compliment ever!!!! xx

[Scotland Yard]

Just ordered a copy. It will be a nice pictorial companion piece to 'The Man Who Hunted The Ripper' which I'm reading now.

[Archaic]

I'm very sorry you're having such a hassle with the publisher, Philip. I confess I never realized it was so difficult for an author to get their book published in the way which they had intended, expected, and stipulated.

The lack of color in what could be termed a 'photographic history' book seems so egregious an error on Amberley's part that I hope they will correct it to your satisfaction, or at least compensate you so you can afford to take it elsewhere.

Maybe you should write a new book titled "The Pitfalls Of Publishing: A Guide To The 1,001 Ways In Which Publishers Can Screw Things Up."

Best regards, Archaic