Museum billed as celebration of London women opens as Jack the Ripper exhibit

[toggle]

The width is what struck me. The building doesn't seem wide enough to accommodate two staircases - perhaps they've put a down staircase at the back of it. I do wonder where the camera is located.

Don't know about the colour scheme - it's possible it's not yet completely painted. I did wonder if it was some kind of Caligari style 'expressionist' design. As I indicated I boosted the contrast and brightness on this version to make it clearer so it's not a faithful representation.

they would definately need to have another staircase if they expect to have more than about 2 people in that building at once.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

oh yeah, can and has- why it occured to me specifically in the context of what we have been discussing is that in using the death (murder, left in the park for the local teens to find, grim) of a young woman as a framing device. Well it didn't feel cheap done then. And Borlu (the detective) was relentless, the unfolding made it of value and Borlu's obsession with finding who and why. It could have been a young man couldn't it? Narratively it would have worked exactly the same. But the death of those percieved as weaker makes more impact I suppose. Precisely because it riles up the reader/viewers sense of injustice- gah, breakthrough, I've just realised thats exactly ehy its done and why it so easy to do- its done for the reasons I mentioned and its easy to do because it isn't unconvincing given the amount of women killed in sx crimes or similar.

yuk

It was fridgeing (hah) and I suspect that if you got into a discussion with Mieville about it now he'd agree.

 

[toggle]

Ok - but if Melville had made a choice not to tell that specific story, a writer of his skill could clearly have written something equally powerful, without contributing to the tidal wave of stories that involve violence against women.

i'm now off to search for articles on this. if you know of anything particularly good, cna you point me at it.

 

[DotCommunist]

It was fridgeing (hah) and I suspect that if you got into a discussion with Mieville about it now he'd agree.

thats why I mention how it would have worked equally well with a young male student. The tale went way beyond that though. Which as I think on it is using a dead young woman as texture. Gah.

 

[Bakunin]

Speaking of Jack, now his last victim might be exhumed:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-theory-on-the-killers-identity-10432113.html

 

[toggle]

Speaking of Jack, now his last victim might be exhumed:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-theory-on-the-killers-identity-10432113.html

there really is a point in leaving this the fuck alone. what in the fuck is to be gained by this exercise other than another cunt who can't see past the ripper case gets another publishing contract and the obsessives get another shelf filler to go along with the 790 other ripper books they have.

fuck, i may find some of the stuff you write about nauseating, but it pales into comparison with the ripper nasties. like I so loved the old sparky picturess, the ones with the guy strapped into it and you do a pretty good job of talking about some of the sociopolitical shit behind executions, and the racism inherent in the system. I can sort of start to get a point that the more people learn about hwo fucked up it has always been, the more people will oppose it (the portillo effect) but there's nothing to be gained from this shit other than sensationalism over the death of a woman who was vulnerable because she was a woman in a society that treated women like crap unless they were the beatrice webbs and ovtavia hills of that era.

 

[Bakunin]

there really is a point in leaving this the fuck alone. what in the fuck is to be gained by this exercise other than another cunt who can't see past the ripper case gets another publishing contract and the obsessives get another shelf filler to go along with the 790 other ripper books they have.

fuck, i may find some of the stuff you write about nauseating, but it pales into comparison with the ripper nasties. like I so loved the old sparky picturess, the ones with the guy strapped into it and you do a pretty good job of talking about some of the sociopolitical shit behind executions, and the racism inherent in the system. I can sort of start to get a point that the more people learn about hwo fucked up it has always been, the more people will oppose it (the portillo effect) but there's nothing to be gained from this shit other than sensationalism over the death of a woman who was vulnerable because she was a woman in a society that treated women like crap unless they were the beatrice webbs and ovtavia hills of that era.

Agreed. Jack will almost certainly never be identified and so this exercise probably would serve little purpose. Unfortunately, as with JFK and various other notorious cases, it's a guaranteed seller which always appeals to publishers. not my cup of tea, as you know, nor is any sensationalist true crime stuff, but for the publishing business it's about sales, not value. They may not see it as bringing anything new to the subject, but they do see it as another business opportunity.

 

[Lurdan]

Speaking of Jack, now his last victim might be exhumed:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-theory-on-the-killers-identity-10432113.html

Hmm lets see :
Alleged relative of Ripper victim willing to pimp out their ancestors - check
MAGIC DNA - check
Book to sell - check

Yup I think we've been here before.

How establishing he may be related to Mary Kelly 'proves' his theory about her murder is beyond me, although doubtless there is the possibility of photographs of the exhumed corpse to put alongside the somewhat unpleasant ones of the murder scene.

However if he does turn out to be a 'living relative' obviously he will become a valuable Ripper artifact himself. Perhaps we could begin a kickstarter to have this useless cunt stuffed, mounted and exhibited in the new museum.

 

[toggle]

Agreed. Jack will almost certainly never be identified and so this exercise probably would serve little purpose. Unfortunately, as with JFK and various other notorious cases, it's a guaranteed seller which always appeals to publishers. not my cup of tea, as you know, nor is any sensationalist true crime stuff, but for the publishing business it's about sales, not value. They may not see it as bringing anything new to the subject, but they do see it as another business opportunity.

and just like this museum, and in the rest of the ripper story, the women are reduced to actors in his game. they have no value in themselves, just like they had no value other than the sale of their body on the street. they remain now, as they were then, an object to be used and then discarded.

I wouldn't object to another ripper book based on the effect he had on women's lives. make them the actors and him the object they danced arround. but hey, women with agency, who made good choices, bad choices, dangerous choices doesn't make money like women do when they are sexy and dead

maybee that's another book idea.

 

[Belushi]

The architect claims he was lied to about its purpose

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-salacious-misogynist-rubbish-london-east-end

 

[equationgirl]

There's some special comments underneath that article.

 

[Pickman's model]

lively demo tonight will be another next week with no tube strike excuse for the slugabeds among you

 

[weepiper]

 

[DaveCinzano]

View attachment 74969

Vigilance Committee's on an awayday

 

[Puddy_Tat]

The architect claims he was lied to about its purpose

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-salacious-misogynist-rubbish-london-east-end

and a charity the 'museum' claims it is supporting also say he's telling porkies

A spokesperson from Eaves said: “The first we were made aware of this was when we were contacted by our supporters. We join all those in expressing concern that a museum which had been billed as celebrating and recognising women of the East End has now become a museum about Jack The Ripper.

“As a charity with a long history of supporting women survivors of violence we are unhappy with the way in which the museum has used our name without permission.”

 

[Lurdan]

The architect claims he was lied to about its purpose

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-salacious-misogynist-rubbish-london-east-end

From the article:

A spokesperson for Jack the Ripper Museum said: “The purpose of the museum, as stated in the original proposal, is to highlight the often overlooked history and untold stories of women in the East End of London.

“In Tower Hamlets, the female victims of Jack the Ripper have formed a significant and undeniable part of that history.

An example of the Museum's attitude to the victims was picked up on jtrforums.com one of the Ripper forums. Butchersapron posted a link here, to a Channel 4 news item. In it there was a shot of a picture of one of the victims, Mary Kelly, hanging on the wall of the Museum.

Spoiler: Screenshot of the picture

Just one problem. The only known pictures of Mary Kelly are the (fortunately) blurry ones of the crime scene after the ripper had, amongst other things, cut her face apart. At this moment we have no idea what she really looked like.

Ripperologists being the trekkies of 'true' crime fandom it took just 23 minutes after that frameshot was posted for the source of the picture and the identity of the woman in it to be revealed.

Spoiler: Source of the picture

Even better this wasn't just any Victorian woman but Lizzie Williams - the hapless victim of one of many batshit theories that the ripper was female, as outlined in this 2012 Daily Mail article

Jacqueline the Ripper? New book claims Britain's most notorious serial killer was actually a WOMAN

(Part of the "overwhelming" "evidence" for believing the ripper to be a woman was that none of the victims had been sexually assaulted. Facepalm really doesn't cover it). **

Displaying this as a picture of Mary Kelly is a rather startling 'gaffe' for a museum owner who says in this interview

It was Museum of London Docklands' Jack the Ripper exhibition of 2008 that — he says on the Ripper museum's website — inspired him to open "a serious examination of the story of Jack the Ripper, telling the story from the perspective of the women who were his victims for the first time". (...)

Cathy Ross, author and Honorary Research Fellow at Museum of London was brought in to write the guidebook and as a consultant to professionally curate the museum and to bring a similar sense that the Museum of London Docklands' exhibition carried.

_______________________________________________
** Obviously given an infinite number of ripperologists and an infinite number of typewriters it would be possible to prove that everyone alive in 1888, together with a range of entirely made up people and all the characters in every late 19th century work of fiction, were all 'credible' candidates to be the ripper. Not forgetting the victims who were merely 'pretending' in order to throw us off the trail.

 

[brogdale]

 

[Pickman's model]

We'll see how this turns out but it's very possibly an example of shooting yourself in the foot by being too clever.

A straightforward application for change of use based on what was actually intended would have run into some opposition. Not just from locals offended by the exploitation of these women's murders, or sick of 'ripper experts' blocking the pavements with 'tours'. Some adjacent property owners would be concerned about their inflated property values. (On the other hand the owners of 'Poppies Diner' or, if they are still there, the dodgy looking geezers running the car hire firm across the road, might welcome the additional trade). The Council has cast a cold eye on Ripper themed attractions in the past for a variety of reasons. However it's very unlikely that the opposition would be at anything like the levels these fools have aroused.

Planners don't have the power to block this kind of development because of what it is. It's located within the 'Wilton's Music Hall Conservation Area' (pdf file) approved in 2008 but that will only affect what they can do to the exterior or how high they can build. But planners, (along with building inspectors) do have the power to delay approval while appropriate questions are asked and answered, and while that doesn't hold up big developers it can have a significant effect on the bottom line for small scale exploiters like these arses.

Having been caught out telling a pack of lies in the planning application reopens the issue of the truthfulness of everything else stated in the application. For example, this is a small building. Building and fire regulations clearly come into play in a different way for this kind of attraction than if it was a shop with small business offices above it. If their permissions depend on small pre-booked parties being given an escorted tour, rather than people wandering about at will, it restricts their earning potential if that is monitored for compliance. The same with any building regulation or fire safety requirements .

I haven't had a chance to look through the planning applications in detail - I intend to have a look at them over the weekend - but I'm still interested in the view of the staircase shown in the BBC news report. I posted this picture yesterday but here's an enhanced version. It raises questions in my mind about fire access.

If these cocks were hoping to slip under the radar and then do exactly what they want (as an enormous number of small property investors do) they've already seriously miscalculated. I doubt this level of potential scrutiny was part of the business plan.

you might find tower hamlets planning application PA/14/03337 interesting then. can't do you a durable url, but you can plug the number in here http://planreg.towerhamlets.gov.uk/WAM/searchsubmit/performOption.do?action=search

 

[Pickman's model]

 

[Bakunin]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...er-labels-it-misogynist-rubbish-10446242.html

It hasn't actually opened and, frankly, doesn't look as though it's going to.

 

[two sheds]

If it doesn't then so much for 'all publicity is good publicity'.

 

[equationgirl]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...er-labels-it-misogynist-rubbish-10446242.html

It hasn't actually opened and, frankly, doesn't look as though it's going to.

Good. I hope it doesn't.

 

[Patteran]

The architect claims he was lied to about its purpose

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-salacious-misogynist-rubbish-london-east-end

It would be very unusual for an architect to design a museum interior without seeing artists' impressions of finished galleries, or inventories of assets/objects to be displayed - content defines the design to a degree - display cases tend to be bespoke & need plug sockets, lighting, etc. I guess the client could have been deliberately vague - but that might have alerted the architect that something wasn't right.

 

[Bakunin]

It would be very unusual for an architect to design a museum interior without seeing artists' impressions of finished galleries, or inventories of assets/objects to be displayed - content defines the design to a degree - display cases tend to be bespoke & need plug sockets, lighting, etc. I guess the client could have been deliberately vague - but that might have alerted the architect that something wasn't right.

If I remember rightly the architect was doing the job at a specially-reduced rate because it was for a good cause (or so he was told). When people are told they're doing something for a good cause then they're often keen enough to help that they don't look as closely at paperwork and other gubbins as they would if it was a straightforward commercial job.

 

[Bakunin]

Oh, and there's apparently a counter-demo being touted around on social media relating itself to both this 'museum' and the recent hipster cereal to-do:

ProtectEastLondon

 

[stethoscope]

Using a fucking PR company?!

 

[cesare]

Bright Young Things? Oh my word

 

[cesare]

Joshua Walker PR (@JoshuaWalkerPR) on Twitter

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh, and there's apparently a counter-demo being touted around on social media relating itself to both this 'museum' and the recent hipster cereal to-do:

ProtectEastLondon

i am sorry i won't be able to attend

 

[DaveCinzano]

Oh, and there's apparently a counter-demo being touted around on social media relating itself to both this 'museum' and the recent hipster cereal to-do:

ProtectEastLondon

I'm sure that will go well