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Conference Update
Sep. 18th, 2022 05:39 pmI’m delighted to be taking part in this conference, and I’m looking forward to the other presentations very much. More information is here.
Halloween Countdown 2017, Day 18
Oct. 18th, 2017 08:30 amNow it’s list time! Here are my picks for the spooky podcasts you don’t want to miss this Halloween.
In no particular order…
* Welcome to Night Vale: It’s TheNerdyBlogger’s fault that I’m addicted to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast (and its wonderfully weird related books, as well). This is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, an omnipotent Glow Cloud (All hail!), and cultural events. Think Lake Woebegone meets Stephen King. Just for kicks, I’m decorating this post with quotes from the podcast.
(Note: I also recommend checking out the other podcasts from Night Vale Presents, as well!)
* Astonishing Legends: This podcast’s mission is to take a look at legendary, strange, and unusual events from history and interview people who’ve had close encounters with the unexplained. Hosts Scott and Forrest strive to bring you everything that’s entertaining about those stories and remind you that it’s okay to laugh at scary stories – and, respectfully, even the people that tell them. That said, this is a serious and skeptical podcast. Put your headphones on, settle in for your commute, and get ready to experience a show like nothing you’ve ever heard before. I discovered this podcast while looking for more analyses of the Dyatlov Pass mystery, and I was hooked. My favorite series of episodes thus far focuses on the Somerton Man mystery. If you could have drinks with the Lone Gunmen, I’d expect the discussion would sound a bit like this podcast. (That’s a compliment, if you were wondering.) Right now they’re covering the Bell Witch. (Too cool!) You remember the Bell Witch, right?
* The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast: In each weekly podcast, Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer discuss a specific H.P. Lovecraft story – what it’s about, how it reads, why it may have been written and what other works of art it’s influenced. Since concluding Lovecraft’s stories, they’ve been covering other weird fiction that inspired the author, mostly those referenced in his essay “Supernatural Horror in Literature.” They regularly have talented guest readers and contributing composers for their music sections. The majority of the Lovecraft episodes are free. Three of the four monthly episodes are now subscription-only, but they are well, well worth the modest cost. And October is for werewolves!
* Saturday Frights: TheNerdyBlogger put this on my radar, and I’m grateful! Each week the co-hosts discussed a particular horror movie or horror-themed TV episode from the Retroist Vault for your listening enjoyment. Unfortunately, the show is no longer in production, but there are still 63 episodes in the archive that are well worth your time and guaranteed to put you in the Halloween mood.
* Interference by Eric Luke: Another of my brilliant former graduate students, April, suggested this to me, and it’s sublime. Don’t miss this! The podiobook unfolds in twenty-four episodes, and then it’s done. Described as “an experiment in audio horror” (oh yeah!), here’s the tantalizing blurb: “SOMETHING wants in. To your head. Through this audiobook. Ethan, a digital sound engineer in Los Angeles, becomes aware that his life is unraveling when the audiobook he’s listening to reveals his deepest, darkest secrets, escalating until the narrator addresses him directly, threatening to destroy him from within. Vivian, a single mother running an antique store in San Francisco, listens to her audiobook to distract herself from missing her young daughter, but is shaken when the narrative is interrupted by her daughter’s voice, faintly calling for help. Ethan and Vivian are drawn together as they fight to solve a generation-spanning conspiracy that begins with a boy listening to the Orson Welles broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938 and evolves through the latest innovations in digital technology…” I love how the individual weird tales link together into a spooky, intense, and deeply humane conclusion.
* Rippercast: The Whitechapel Murders Podcast: This is a treat for those of you who are interested in the history of forensics, true crime, Victorian England/London, etc. A roundtable of author/academic presenters, co-hosts, and special guests discuss topics related to the Whitechapel Murders, Jack the Ripper, Victorian British history, true crime, and whatever else suits their fancy. Lately the podcast has been sharing the monthly scholarly talks recorded at the London meetings of the Whitechapel Society 1888 and at various international conferences focused on related themes, as well as the “10 Weeks in Whitechapel” series. If you want to hear the latest in research from those who literally wrote the books on their respective topics related to Jack the Ripper’s times and context, you’ll want to listen.
* Kat & Curt’s TV Re-View: This podcast began with brilliant bloggers Curtis Weyant and Katherine Sas introducing Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who to each other, watching one episode of each per week, sharing fannish delight and critical analysis. Curt, a long-time Whedon devotee and scholar, introduced the show to Kat, and analytical Whovian Kat acquainted Curt with the Doctor. Now Angel and Battlestar Galactica have been added to the mix. Join Kat and Curt for a journey through time, space, and Sunnydale as they battle demons, aliens, and the inscrutable process of creating quality narrative television.
* Tales to Terrify: This weekly audio magazine is one of StarShipSofa’s siblings in the District of Wonders. I’m terribly saddened to say that we lost our friend and comrade, author and host Larry Santoro (“the Vincent Price of podcasts!”). He is greatly missed. But the podcast continues to soldier (lurch? stagger? insert your scary verb here) on in his memory. It includes the best of contemporary horror fiction and nonfiction. It was my distinct honor to represent TTT last year at the Hugo Awards Ceremony, where it was a finalist for the Best Fancast Award. (In addition, have narrated three haunting stories for this podcast. Follow the links to hear my reading of “After the Ape” by Stephen Volk, my reading of “Jewels in the Dust” by Peter Crowther, and my reading of “Payback” by P.D. Cacek.)
* Lovecraft eZine Podcast: This is the podcast version of the wonderful and weekly live show produced by the incomparable Lovecraft eZine. Listen as stellar guests discuss cosmic horror, weird fiction, Lovecraftian horror, the Cthulhu Mythos, and related topics.
* Pseudopod: One of the oldest horror podcasts and still one of the very best, Pseudopod presents fine short horror in audio form weekly. Do not miss this podcast!
* MonsterTalk: This is the science show about monsters — a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and werewolves. Hosted by Blake Smith, Ben Radford, and Dr. Karen Stollznow, MonsterTalk interviews the scientists and investigators who shine a spotlight on the things that go bump in the night. The episode airing dates average out to mean a new show once a month, sometimes more. (Thanks to ankh_hpl for introducing me to this great show.)
* Classic Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley: what’s not to love? This is a fantastic weekly podcast featuring B.J. Harrison’s unabridged readings of great — and often haunting and Halloween-friendly — fiction.
* Atlanta Radio Theatre Company: Founded in 1984, ARTC is a staple at venues such as Dragon*Con and has a standing program year-round, performing adaptations of works by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells live. ARTC podcasts its fantastic productions.
* Skeptoid: This podcast shines the lights of logic and reason into the dark shadows. Each weekly episode focuses on a single phenomenon — an urban legend, a paranormal claim, etc. — that you may have heard of, and it explains the factual scientific reality. To put it another way, we the listeners are Fox Mulder, and Skeptoid kindly serves as our Dana Scully.
And here are some more recent lists for you!
* 13 Creepy Podcasts Just in Time for Halloween
* The Best Spooky Podcasts to Get You Ready for Halloween
* The Top 10 Scary Podcasts to Get You in a Spooky Mood
Now it’s your turn. What other spooky podcasts do you recommend?
History Goes BOINK
Sep. 7th, 2014 10:18 amTwo separate history items today.
* A book is getting ready to hit shelves that claims new forensic evidence (including a fresh DNA analysis) proves that Aaron Kosminski was Jack the Ripper.
I don't really have a horse in this race, as I don't have a "pet suspect" in whom I'm invested, but Kosminski as the culprit certainly would not be surprising to me. There are very good reasons to be skeptical about this book's claims, however. Until I've had a chance to read this book critically, I'll be minding the reviews and keeping a close eye on the (already twelve-page) discussion unfolding about it at the Casebook.org forum.
- Incidentally, the best book I've read thus far on Kosminski as a suspect is Robert House's 2010 Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect.
- In addition, Kosminski's asylum records will be opened to researchers in 2019, which should yield some new insights.
* In unrelated news, the University of Oklahoma Libraries is inviting members of the public to help transcribe U.S. Civil War documents. Join University Libraries in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War by transcribing a Civil War diary and letters. Your transcriptions will make these manuscripts more accessible to researchers everywhere! Click here for more information.
* A book is getting ready to hit shelves that claims new forensic evidence (including a fresh DNA analysis) proves that Aaron Kosminski was Jack the Ripper.
I don't really have a horse in this race, as I don't have a "pet suspect" in whom I'm invested, but Kosminski as the culprit certainly would not be surprising to me. There are very good reasons to be skeptical about this book's claims, however. Until I've had a chance to read this book critically, I'll be minding the reviews and keeping a close eye on the (already twelve-page) discussion unfolding about it at the Casebook.org forum.
- Incidentally, the best book I've read thus far on Kosminski as a suspect is Robert House's 2010 Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect.
- In addition, Kosminski's asylum records will be opened to researchers in 2019, which should yield some new insights.
* In unrelated news, the University of Oklahoma Libraries is inviting members of the public to help transcribe U.S. Civil War documents. Join University Libraries in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War by transcribing a Civil War diary and letters. Your transcriptions will make these manuscripts more accessible to researchers everywhere! Click here for more information.
More Pre-Worldcon Adventures
Aug. 23rd, 2014 09:38 amI had quite a bit of archive-y, research-y, rambly fun before Worldcon. As for London, beyond the Sherlock Holmes Museum, I managed to drop by the Museum of London (my photos are here) and several Holmesian spots, such as Arthur Conan Doyle's home on Upper Wimpole Street (where he wrote the first five Sherlock Holmes short stories), St. Bart's Hospital (where Holmes and Watson first met and, in the BBC's Sherlock, where Sherlock fell), etc.
In one of the most amazing experiences of my trip, I was privileged to get to spend an afternoon one-on-one in Whitechapel with noted Ripperologist Richard Jones. I've annotated my photos to try to explain where we went and why. (Alas, I didn't take photos inside the Royal London Hospital Museum and Archives, which was utterly fascinating.) Even if you're not specifically interested in the subject of Jack the Ripper and the Autumn of Terror, you may find the historical architecture worth a look.
Here is the "virtual tour" of Whitechapel I've constructed with my photos and explanations.
I'll leave you with a teaser: this is the beautiful tile work inside The Ten Bells Pub, which has been standing since 1752 and remains largely unchanged on the inside from its condition in 1888, when it reportedly served at least two victims traditionally attributed to Jack the Ripper, Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly.
I'll be posting very soon about Worldcon/Loncon 3 itself. Thanks for letting me share! :)
In one of the most amazing experiences of my trip, I was privileged to get to spend an afternoon one-on-one in Whitechapel with noted Ripperologist Richard Jones. I've annotated my photos to try to explain where we went and why. (Alas, I didn't take photos inside the Royal London Hospital Museum and Archives, which was utterly fascinating.) Even if you're not specifically interested in the subject of Jack the Ripper and the Autumn of Terror, you may find the historical architecture worth a look.
Here is the "virtual tour" of Whitechapel I've constructed with my photos and explanations.
I'll leave you with a teaser: this is the beautiful tile work inside The Ten Bells Pub, which has been standing since 1752 and remains largely unchanged on the inside from its condition in 1888, when it reportedly served at least two victims traditionally attributed to Jack the Ripper, Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly.
I'll be posting very soon about Worldcon/Loncon 3 itself. Thanks for letting me share! :)
Happy Birthday, Robert Bloch!
Apr. 5th, 2014 08:52 amHappy birthday to Robert Bloch (5 April, 1917 – 23 September, 1994), one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle.
“I think perhaps all of us go a little crazy at times.”
― Robert Bloch, Psycho (1959)
"In the strict scientific sense, Doctor, we all feed on death. Even vegetarians."
― Mr. Spock to Dr. McCoy in Robert Bloch's episode "The Wolf in the Fold," Star Trek (1967)
“So much for modern science and its wonderful discoveries that just about everything can kill you. Life is only a bedtime story before a long, long sleep.”
― Robert Bloch, Lori (1989)
“I think perhaps all of us go a little crazy at times.”
― Robert Bloch, Psycho (1959)
"In the strict scientific sense, Doctor, we all feed on death. Even vegetarians."
― Mr. Spock to Dr. McCoy in Robert Bloch's episode "The Wolf in the Fold," Star Trek (1967)
“So much for modern science and its wonderful discoveries that just about everything can kill you. Life is only a bedtime story before a long, long sleep.”
― Robert Bloch, Lori (1989)
Today completes my observance of the 125th anniversary of the Autumn of Terror. The third and final part of my latest three-part "Looking Back on Genre History" podcast segment, which focuses on how science fiction authors have wrestled with the Jack the Ripper mystery, is now available here at StarShipSofa. (Part 1 is here and Part 2 is here.)
On this day in 1888, the body of Mary Jane Kelly - the last "canonical" victim of Jack the Ripper, the youngest (approximately 25 years old), and the only one to be murdered indoors - was found in her home at 13 Miller's Court. This day is often used to mark the end of the Ripper's reign over the Autumn of Terror.
Ripperologists continue to debate whether later deaths by violent murder (such as those of Annie Farmer and Rose Mylett in 1888, Elizabeth Jackson and Alice Mackenzie in 1889, and Frances Coles and Carrie Brown in 1891, among others) also should be attributed to Jack the Ripper.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Mary Jane Kelly page.
On this day in 1888, the body of Mary Jane Kelly - the last "canonical" victim of Jack the Ripper, the youngest (approximately 25 years old), and the only one to be murdered indoors - was found in her home at 13 Miller's Court. This day is often used to mark the end of the Ripper's reign over the Autumn of Terror.
Ripperologists continue to debate whether later deaths by violent murder (such as those of Annie Farmer and Rose Mylett in 1888, Elizabeth Jackson and Alice Mackenzie in 1889, and Frances Coles and Carrie Brown in 1891, among others) also should be attributed to Jack the Ripper.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Mary Jane Kelly page.
Today's post continues my observance of the 125th anniversary of the Autumn of Terror, and it also offers another "This Day in Spooky History" installment of my Halloween countdown.
On this day in 1888, George Lusk, then the head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in London, received a package containing a letter allegedly written by the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. The missive later became known as the "From Hell Letter." It was accompanied by a small box containing half of what doctors later determined was a human kidney, preserved in ethanol, which may have been taken from Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes. Many investigators, researchers, and historians agree that, of the many so-called "Ripper letters," this is the one most likely to have been penned by the real murderer.
The letter read as follows (sic):
From hell
Mr Lusk
Sor
I send you half the Kidne I took from one women prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise. I may send you the bloody knif that took it out if you only wate a whil longer.
signed
Catch me when
you Can
Mishter Lusk.
* Read more about the alleged Ripper letters here at Casebook: Jack the Ripper and here at Wikipedia.
* Read reviews of Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell (by Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner, 2001), which reproduces and transcribes the letters (mis)attributed to Jack the Ripper, including the 'Dear Boss' correspondence and the 'From Hell' letter. "The authors relate the letters to the complete story of the Whitechapel murders, tracing the hysteria and misconceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9 and providing revealing insights into the Victorian psyche. For the first time the cases of three people arrested by the police for sending 'Jack the Ripper' letters are explored, including that of Maria Coroner, the attractive 21-year-old Bradford girl. Evans and Skinner also examine the letters of seven suspects, including Dr. Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson and Nikaner Benelius. The story of the Ripper letters ends by posing a controversial question: was Jack the Ripper merely a press invention?"
On this day in 1888, George Lusk, then the head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in London, received a package containing a letter allegedly written by the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. The missive later became known as the "From Hell Letter." It was accompanied by a small box containing half of what doctors later determined was a human kidney, preserved in ethanol, which may have been taken from Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes. Many investigators, researchers, and historians agree that, of the many so-called "Ripper letters," this is the one most likely to have been penned by the real murderer.
The letter read as follows (sic):
From hell
Mr Lusk
Sor
I send you half the Kidne I took from one women prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise. I may send you the bloody knif that took it out if you only wate a whil longer.
signed
Catch me when
you Can
Mishter Lusk.
* Read more about the alleged Ripper letters here at Casebook: Jack the Ripper and here at Wikipedia.
* Read reviews of Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell (by Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner, 2001), which reproduces and transcribes the letters (mis)attributed to Jack the Ripper, including the 'Dear Boss' correspondence and the 'From Hell' letter. "The authors relate the letters to the complete story of the Whitechapel murders, tracing the hysteria and misconceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9 and providing revealing insights into the Victorian psyche. For the first time the cases of three people arrested by the police for sending 'Jack the Ripper' letters are explored, including that of Maria Coroner, the attractive 21-year-old Bradford girl. Evans and Skinner also examine the letters of seven suspects, including Dr. Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson and Nikaner Benelius. The story of the Ripper letters ends by posing a controversial question: was Jack the Ripper merely a press invention?"
Halloween Countdown, Supplemental
Oct. 7th, 2013 01:05 pmAs a follow-up to my earlier countdown post today, I have a few Halloween-friendly news items to share.
* First, I have been a fan of Jeffrey Combs for many years, and his portrayals of Edgar Allan Poe (in television's Black Cat and his one-man show Nevermore) are simply outstanding. I had a chance to talk with him about Poe last year at ConCarolinas, and I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated his insights into the author. He takes Poe very seriously, and I take this Kickstarter very seriously. Let's make a feature film of Nevermore happen!
Master Horror director Stuart Gordon, brilliant actor Jeffrey Combs, and inspired screenwriter Dennis Paoli -- the team that brought you From Beyond and Re-Animator - team up again to bring you a brand new feature film: NEVERMORE. Visit the Kickstarter campaign.
* In other news, this week's episode of StarShipSofa includes the second of my three-part "Looking Back into Genre History" series that remembers the 125th anniversary of the Autumn of Terror by exploring the ways in which science fiction has wrestled with the mystery of Jack the Ripper. (The first part of the three-part series is here.) If you listen, I hope you enjoy!
* Last but certainly not least, TheOneRing.net's monthly Rewrite Tolkien Contest theme is [insert drum roll here] The Hobbit as written by Edgar Allan Poe. You know you want to take part in this. (Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jan_u_wine and wellinghall.)
"There are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence in the supernatural..."
- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt"
* First, I have been a fan of Jeffrey Combs for many years, and his portrayals of Edgar Allan Poe (in television's Black Cat and his one-man show Nevermore) are simply outstanding. I had a chance to talk with him about Poe last year at ConCarolinas, and I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated his insights into the author. He takes Poe very seriously, and I take this Kickstarter very seriously. Let's make a feature film of Nevermore happen!
Master Horror director Stuart Gordon, brilliant actor Jeffrey Combs, and inspired screenwriter Dennis Paoli -- the team that brought you From Beyond and Re-Animator - team up again to bring you a brand new feature film: NEVERMORE. Visit the Kickstarter campaign.
* In other news, this week's episode of StarShipSofa includes the second of my three-part "Looking Back into Genre History" series that remembers the 125th anniversary of the Autumn of Terror by exploring the ways in which science fiction has wrestled with the mystery of Jack the Ripper. (The first part of the three-part series is here.) If you listen, I hope you enjoy!
* Last but certainly not least, TheOneRing.net's monthly Rewrite Tolkien Contest theme is [insert drum roll here] The Hobbit as written by Edgar Allan Poe. You know you want to take part in this. (Thanks to
jan_u_wine and wellinghall.)"There are few persons, even among the calmest thinkers, who have not occasionally been startled into a vague yet thrilling half-credence in the supernatural..."
- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt"
On this day in 1888, the morning issue of London's Daily News printed the text of a message allegedly written by the serial killer who was terrorizing Whitechapel at the time. The missive later became known as the "Dear Boss Letter," and it remains significant because it was the first time the name "Jack the Ripper" was given to the murderer. The letter had been postmarked and received on September 27 by the Central News Agency of London.
The letter read as follows (sic):
Dear Boss,
I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha. The next job I do I shall clip the ladys ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck. Yours truly
Jack the Ripper
Dont mind me giving the trade name
PS Wasnt good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands curse it No luck yet. They say I'm a doctor now. ha ha
Read more about the alleged Ripper letters here at Casebook: Jack the Ripper.
The letter read as follows (sic):
Dear Boss,
I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha. The next job I do I shall clip the ladys ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck. Yours truly
Jack the Ripper
Dont mind me giving the trade name
PS Wasnt good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands curse it No luck yet. They say I'm a doctor now. ha ha
Read more about the alleged Ripper letters here at Casebook: Jack the Ripper.
On this day in 1888, known as the "Double Event," 45-year-old Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride and 46-year-old Catherine "Kate" Eddowes, the third and fourth "canonical" victims of Jack the Ripper, were found murdered. Whether Stride's relatively unmutilated body indicates that the Ripper was interrupted or that her murder was the deed of an altogether different killer remains a debated question among students of the case.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Elizabeth Stride page.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Catherine Eddowes page.
On this day in 1888, Annie Chapman, the second "canonical" victim of Jack the Ripper, was found murdered and mutilated in the backyard of 29 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, London.
Below is the marker found at the murder site today.
Chapman is the only Ripper victim for whom there is a known and verified photograph taken in life. Below is a portrait of Annie and her husband John Chapman, c.1869, as originally posted on Casebook: Jack the Ripper with the permission of the Chapman family and Neal Shelden.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Annie Chapman page.
On this day in 1888, 43-year-old Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols, the first "canonical" victim of Jack the Ripper, was found murdered and mutilated on Buck's Row, Whitechapel, roughly 150 yards from the London Hospital and 100 yards from Blackwall Buildings.
Below is a picture of the Buck's Row Board School, the only remaining building contemporaneous with the site of the Nichols murder.
* Recently discovered photos of Nichols's daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter may be seen in this discussion thread. (Scroll down.)
* Read "Old Wounds: Re-examining the Buck's Row Murder" by Tom Wescott.
* Read "The Riddle of New Cottage" by Paul Daniel.
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Mary Ann Nichols page.
Many thanks to everyone who has participated in my poll about my annual October posts! If you haven't voted yet, the poll is still open. Please feel free to vote by commenting, as well. Thanks so much!
And now, on to the post...
On this day in 1888, 39-year-old Martha Tabram was found stabbed 39 times, murdered in the George Yard Buildings of East London. Her killer was never discovered. Although she is not considered to be one of the "Canonical Five" victims of Jack the Ripper, many investigators at the time and scholars since have linked her death to the Ripper's killing spree.
(An earlier murder, that of Emma Smith in April, might also have been related to the later killings, although this is not as widely held a theory.)
Below is the current site of what was the Two Brewers pub, where Martha and her friend "Pearly Poll" picked up two guardsmen. Later the two women parted ways, and Martha went with the Private into George Yard. Her body was discovered hours later on the morning of August 7, 1888.
* Read "Martha Tabram: The Forgotten Ripper Victim?" by Jon Ogan
* Read "The Case for Re-Canonizing Martha Tabram" by Quentin L. Pittman, esq.
* Read "The Silence of Violence: A Witness to the Martha Tabram Murder Exposed" by Tom Wescott
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Martha Tabram page.
And now, on to the post...
On this day in 1888, 39-year-old Martha Tabram was found stabbed 39 times, murdered in the George Yard Buildings of East London. Her killer was never discovered. Although she is not considered to be one of the "Canonical Five" victims of Jack the Ripper, many investigators at the time and scholars since have linked her death to the Ripper's killing spree.
(An earlier murder, that of Emma Smith in April, might also have been related to the later killings, although this is not as widely held a theory.)
Below is the current site of what was the Two Brewers pub, where Martha and her friend "Pearly Poll" picked up two guardsmen. Later the two women parted ways, and Martha went with the Private into George Yard. Her body was discovered hours later on the morning of August 7, 1888.
* Read "Martha Tabram: The Forgotten Ripper Victim?" by Jon Ogan
* Read "The Case for Re-Canonizing Martha Tabram" by Quentin L. Pittman, esq.
* Read "The Silence of Violence: A Witness to the Martha Tabram Murder Exposed" by Tom Wescott
* See Casebook: Jack the Ripper's Martha Tabram page.
