There is no
shortage of maps when it comes to Ripperology... we've got the
omnipresent "Jack's London" maps (more collectible than
utilitarian), the P&D Riley maps of the mid-90s (more
utilitarian than collectible), and the ever-more-available
ordnance map reprints from the 1880s and 1890s. Ripperine
cartographers remain in high demand, and for good reason - even
those who are regularly able to transverse the cobbles of
Whitechapel in 2004 can't fully appreciate the true layout and
nature of Whitechapel in 1888. Too much has changed. Too much
destroyed. Too much, lost forever.
And so here we have the latest addition to the series - or,
should I say, additions, as there are indeed two products
now simultaneously released by Geoff Cooper and Gordon Punter of
ripperArt. Both are maps, but in different formats - one a more
traditional, fold-out map, and the other a much more
user-friendly series of nicely gridded maps in standard booklet
form. Each has its advantages and downsides - and although they
both comprise of the same basic maps and drawings, I'll review
them separately.
Jack the Ripper - Whitechapel Map 1888
ISBN: 0-9546603-1-5
Size: 36" x 22" (fully open)
£9.99 plus postage and packaging
A full-sized, two-sided foldable map containing what appears to
be a completely "new" map of Whitechapel. "New" in the sense
that it is a completely redrawn map, not just a blowup or copy
of a previously-published ordnance map. The map is drawn in
thick lines and with sharp angles which, although perhaps not as
minutely-accurate as an ordnance survey, makes it a great deal
easier to read and find objects of interest at a glance. Not all
streets are labeled, though most are, and all of the areas that
are normally of interest to the Ripper-minded researcher are
meticulously annotated - areas surrounding each of the canonical
five murder locations even more-intricately so. The canonical
locations are also magnified and drawn and annotated in even
greater detail, including body positions, nearby buildings,
water pumps, gaslights and even furniture in the case of Millers
Court.
Locations of all major (and sever lesser-known) public houses
are shown, as well as churches, police stations, and other
places of interest (such as Toynbee Hall, Victoria Workingmen's
Home, and even the Chocolate Factory off Osborn Street near
where Emma Smith was attacked) are drawn and labeled. Many of
these locations, according to the authors, have never been
so-precisely located before.
The map suffers the one major usability drawback that most maps
suffer from - its a bugger to fold and unfold the thing every
time you want to reference a specific location. Its too large to
comfortably fold out at arm's length - you really need to lay it
flat on the floor, or to mount it on a wall to appreciate it.
But it is an excellent map indeed, and it is quite useful to see
the whole thing in one go.
Jack the Ripper - Whitechapel 'Map Booklet' 1888
ISBN: 0-9546603-0-7
Size: 11" x 8½"
£9.99 plus postage and packaging
If I had to choose only one of these two products to purchase,
it would without a doubt be the booklet. Here we have something
really new, and particularly useful and user-friendly. The
booklet contains exactly the same content as the larger folding
map, but it is sectioned into different parts so that each
section can fit on a single 11" x 8½" page. Both the
full-Whitechapel views and the closer-in canonical murder sites
are provided, along with short write-ups by the authors briefly
summarizing the basic facts of each. Even better, each of the
Whitechapel map-sections is carefully gridded on each page. The
authors make full use of this by referring to specific locations
within their text to its corresponding grid-points (i.e. "...
along Houndsditch towards Aldgate (P27, GG9)").
Its the combination of an easy-to-browse booklet form and the
novel gridding system which, I believe, will make this
particular publication a "must-have" for every serious
Ripperologist. Precise locations within Whitechapel are always
difficult to pin-down in research and in casual conversations
with other enthusiasts. But imagine now conversing with a fellow
researcher about, say, the Red Lion Public House. Instead of
offering a vague location such as "On Batty Street, near the
London Board School", you can now point your readers to the
exact location, with just a 10 or 15 yard radius - See:
Cooper & Punter, JJ47. Crossingham's Lodging House? See: P15.
Wentworth Model Dwellings? See: Y17. Victoria Workingmen's Home?
See: W22. And the fact that all these gridded maps are in
booklet form makes it that much easier to get immediately to
your point of interest, without having to fumble with an
unwieldly folding map.
Both the folding-map and booklet are useful, but I have to say
its the booklet that will likely find the most use. Its
innovative design may very well make it the cartographic
standard for Ripperological studies. My only complaint, if it
can be considered as such, is that there is no index provided in
the back for lightning-quick reference to all locations labelled
on the map. It would have been a fairly simple addition to the
text, and would have made the end-product all the more useful.
Nevertheless, a highly recommended cartographic duo. Get both if
you can, but if you're on a budget, opt for the booklet. It may
very well become the standard cartographic reference for all
future Ripper publications. Even better, there is ample "free
space" on most maps for researchers to add their own
annotations, labels, or entirely new buildings and areas germane
to their research.
For more information and to order copies of either the map or
booklet you can go to:
http://www.ripperart.com
Or email:
geoff@ripperart.com
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper |
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