In the late nineteenth century London was held in the grip of fear. The murders of Jack the Ripper were headline news, and people were using these grisly murders for their own personal gain. In large vaudevillian shows one could pay a penny and see such oddities as bearded women, large waxwork figures, and photos of Jack the Rippers victims. Massive crowds gathered, and caused relative hysteria for the surrounding communities. One particular show took place in the Whitechapel District, a location of several murders attributed to Jack. The large crowds attracted many undesirable individuals. The author mentions a few of these individuals in the following passage, “…many known thieves loitered among the crowd and gathered outside the premises, and a large number of persons were arrested near the spot for pocket-picking and larceny “(A Penny Show). It is slightly ironic that these thieves committed crimes at a showing of photographs of some of the most brutal murders of all time.
The article describes a court case between the arranger of the showcase, and the members of the community that it disturbed. Some were disturbed by the photographs of the murder victims, while others were disturbed by the large crowd blocking the main road. Crime in Victorian London was for many an average part of everyday life, be it the nuisance of an inappropriate crowd, a pickpocket stealing ones coin, or the brutal murders of several women. All of which could cause quite a commotion in a tight, overcrowded space.
Works Cited
Jackson, Lee, ed. “A Penny Show.” The Era [London] 9 Feb. 1889: Dictionary of Victorian London. Web. 26 Aug. 2015. <http://www.victorianlondon.org/index-2012.htm>.
This is really scary and even a bit odd. How can people actually pay to see pictures of people who have been murdered, as if it’s some kind of show? I also think it raises concerns that these murders were put alongside performers. Did the people of London not care enough to realize that this was a serious and cruel problem? Was there no law to protect the victims of the crime from being exposed in the way that they were?
The lure of crime and mystery might never be totally gone; the case of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel murders are no different. As humans, I believe that by focusing or obsessing over the bad, we’re trying to cope with our inability to exercise control over everything that we want. In this case, what’s the difference between performers using misusing people’s curiosity and Murderpedia?
You’re right to notice that Victorians were very fascinated (and terrified) by crime. They also loved spectacles, whether gruesome, violent, or just unusual. Great choice of article!