A collection of Jack the Ripper-related items that once belonged to a police inspector involved in the famous Victorian cold case will go up for auction this month.
It includes a mortuary photograph of the first victim, Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Nichols, as well as photographs and details of a suspect, Michael Ostrog. Also included is a facsimile copy sent to police of a ‘Dear Boss’ letter and a ‘Saucy Jack’ postcard, both from anonymous senders claiming to be the Ripper.
The pieces will be sold as a single lot by auctioneer Whitton & Laing in Exeter on March 22 with an estimate of £10,000.
The fascination with Jack the Ripper and other historical crimes is reflected in the increased value of related artifacts. In the case of the Ripper, it is not only the gruesome crime that draws attention, but also the stories surrounding the author of this dark mystery.
The Ripper stalked the streets of Whitechapel, east London, killing and maiming five women between August and November 1888, before disappearing.
Horrific: The Ripper stalked the streets of Whitechapel, east London, killing and maiming five women between August and November 1888, before disappearing.
Andrew Frazer Cole, of Whitton & Laing, says: ‘The Ripper continues to capture our imaginations. Items related to his crimes rarely appear, so we expect great interest. Although he may seem macabre, as he relates to the Victorian era more than modern times, he is far enough removed that it is acceptable to collect related items. A key part of the appeal is that he taps into the natural fascination we have with unsolved murder mysteries.’
As with all historical collectibles, provenance is key. The treasure was originally owned by Inspector Joseph Henry Helson, who was in charge of the investigation into the first murder. It belonged to Helson’s family and is being sold by his great-grandson.
Other Ripper items sold recently include a postcard sent in 1888 by someone warning that the killer’s knife is “still in good condition.” It sold at auction for £22,000 in 2018, proving there is a huge appetite for the macabre.
Another hoard of Ripper artefacts, including handcuffs, a baton, a whistle and a notebook carried by police constable Edward Watkins on the night he discovered the fourth victim, Catherine Eddowes, was sold for a total of £18,000 ten years ago. years by JP Humbert Auctioneers in Northamptonshire. since renamed Humbert & Ellis.
Founder Jonathan Humbert says: ‘Just holding objects like the whistle in your hand sends shivers down your spine. Catherine Eddowes’ body was discovered in the Watkins area and it was believed that the murder had just occurred. The Ripper may have heard the whistle or even walked past the policeman. The whistle alone sold for £2,600.
Humbert says: “There is something about the time and place – gas-lit streets, foggy nights and the brick streets of London’s East End – that is irresistible to the mind. With an unsolved murder in which the suspects of those people talked about included a royal surgeon and even the Prince of Wales, it’s no surprise that this story has created a collectible market.’
It is not just the horrendous crimes of the Victorian era that capture the imagination, but also the petty crimes. A couple of years ago, Hansons Auctioneers sold a 500-page police ledger containing hundreds of mugshots of people arrested between 1890 and 1920 in Derbyshire and other areas for £10,500, more than three times its estimate. He had been rescued from a container.
Jim Spencer, head of Hansons’ library department, says: “The images from this bygone era are incredible – they immerse you in a fascinating snapshot of time and history. Many look like characters from the TV drama Peaky Blinders, dressed in cloth caps and accused of minor and strange crimes, such as stealing a bag of soot. There are also gentlemen in bowler hats accused of embezzlement.’
The biggest find in the convict snapshots was pacifist Alice Wheeldon, who was convicted of plotting to kill Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1917. Despite being sentenced to ten years, she was released that same year after going on strike. of hunger. The charges are believed to have been false and she died two years later.
Macabre fascination: Jack the Ripper items continue to attract huge interest, including a letter claiming to be from the Ripper
Other recent sales that reveal an interest in the macabre include a notebook that belonged to Britain’s most famous executioner, Albert Pierrepoint, who executed 400 people over a 25-year period until 1956. One of the last hanged was Ruth Ellis in 1955 , the last woman to be executed in Britain. Her story will become a television drama this year. The executioner’s book included details of each person’s height, weight and neck type so that the required “drop” could be calculated. The notebook was sold along with photographs of him and his father, also an executioner, for £12,400 by SAS Auctions of Newbury in Berkshire, last year.
Humbert also believes that interest in how lawbreakers do not follow the rules that others in society respect also increases the appeal of crime memories.
It says: “The Great Train Robbery of 1963 is almost a modern Robin Hood or highway robbery story, with the daring theft of £2.6 million in used notes from a hijacked train by putting up a false red signal “.
Humbert sold memorabilia from the Great Train Robbery in 2015 for a total of £20,000. The items included Monopoly money played with when the gang were in hiding after the robbery, which sold for £400. A watch worn by Ronnie Briggs, who later escaped prison and fled to Brazil, sold for £900, while a £1 note taken by the robbers was auctioned for £750.
Humbert says: “Gangsters who like to play by their own criminal rules also have a glamorous appeal to collectors, despite the often unpleasant nature of what they actually did to gain notoriety and fame. A great example of this are The Kray Twins, leaders of the East End gangsters during the 1950s and 1960s. Twins Ronnie and Reggie still attract a lot of attention.
A decade ago, JP Humbert Auctioneers sold items owned by Ronnie. These included a miniature rotating clock birdcage complete with a “canary” that the twin kept in his Broadmoor cell and which sold for £3,200. At a sale held in 2009 by Chiswick Auctions in London, a work of art Ronnie Kray’s ‘Crucifixion’ sold for £4,800.
But Humbert warns: ‘Be careful when buying criminal-related items on auction websites, as the market is flooded with fakes. The ideal is to use a trusted auction house that can validate the provenance. Kray art is a classic example, as it is almost childish and very easy to copy. Otherwise, you could unknowingly become a victim of crime.’
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