Museum in Docklands

22-05-2008
Lucy Farmer, MyVillage

Between April 1888 and February 1891 eleven women were savagely murdered on the streets of the East End. This story of Jack the Ripper has fascinated and enthralled us for over a century and is now the stuff of legend and folklore. Museum in Docklands has created an exhibition that delves deeper than the horror stories to expose the reality of the crimes that haunted the grim underworld of the Victorian East End and its wretched inhabitants. This is not a theatrical production to scare and excite but a thoroughly intriguing and realistic exhibition that will remind you that the story of Jack the Ripper is not a game, but one of the most gruesome unsolved murder crimes in London�s history.Amazingly, this is the first exhibition to bring together over 200 original artefacts from the time, including sensational newspaper clippings, genuine police reports and chilling photos about the case. The newspaper reports were rarely censored and journalists clambered to out-do each other with more shocking accounts of the crimes and outrageous claims about evidence and suspects. There are clippings on display that talk of gashing necks and disembowelment, gruesome descriptions that would never be allowed in today�s press. The exhibition also presents the document most prized by �Ripperologists�. The infamous red-ink letter sent to a press agency in September 1888 that claims responsibility for the murders and is signed �Jack the Ripper�. Could it be a confession, or was it a hoax?The curators are keen to balance the media hysteria with the human suffering of the community that endured this elusive serial killer. Authentic photos and sound recordings of the poverty-stricken Eastenders provide a personal touch against the sensational reports and speculation. The victims are not overlooked; each woman is named as visitors are told their pitiful stories that drove them to alcoholism and prostitution. A particularly poignant moment is the ghostly recording of �A Violet from Mother�s Grave�, allegedly sung by Mary Jane Kelly before the Ripper took her life.The final room displays a series of photos set into the wall. On closer inspection you see that they are police shots of the murdered women revealing the brutality of the crimes. They are not for the faint-hearted. By the end of the exhibition you cannot escape the human faces of the people affected by these crimes, making it all the more disturbing that Jack the Ripper himself remains unidentified.The exhibition allows you to reach your own conclusions about the mystery of Jack the Ripper, but it leaves you with one thought marked by a plaque at the exit, �The endless obsession with Jack the Ripper glamorises serial murderers and trivialises violence against women.� This exhibition is a significant step towards challenging this notion�