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A doll’s house mystery and cruel binoculars: Scotland Yard's dark secrets revealed A doll’s house mystery and cruel binoculars: Scotland Yard's dark secrets revealed
(35 minutes later)
Among all the sinister and fascinating objects Museum of London curators considered, in one of the world’s most famous and private museums, the Black Museum at Scotland Yard – hangman’s ropes, death masks, poison bottles, a scarf used to strangle a woman, a jilted lover’s murderous gift of binoculars with spring-mounted spikes aimed at the eyes, the clockwork from a Victorian bomb aimed by Irish terrorists at the heart of Scotland Yard, a tree branch used to bludgeon an undercover policewoman – nothing puzzled them more than a small cardboard box containing tiny pieces of doll’s house furniture. Among all the sinister and fascinating objects Museum of London curators considered – hangman’s ropes, death masks, a tree banch used to bludgeon an undercover policewoman – nothing puzzled them more than a small cardboard box containing tiny pieces of doll’s house furniture.
The exhibition opening at the Museum of London on 9 October, is the first time objects from the Metropolitan police collection have been displayed to the general public. Despite an Edwardian hand-illuminated notice giving opening hours, for 140 years the Black Museum – properly known as the Crime Museum – has been strictly for police officers or by rare invitation. The exhibition opening at the Museum of London on 9 October is the first time objects from the Metropolitan police collection have been displayed to the general public in the Black Museum at Scotland Yard. Despite an Edwardian hand-illuminated notice giving opening hours, for 140 years the museum – properly known as the Crime Museum – has been strictly for police officers or by those offered a rare invitation.
Some of the objects chosen by Museum of London curators Jackie Keily and Julia Hoffbrand relate to unforgettably notorious cases: the Great Train Robbery; the Acid Bath Murders; Dr Crippen and the body in cellar; Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain in 1955; the giant replica diamond installed in the Millennium Dome when word leaked of a plot to steal the most valuable diamond in the world, the £200m Millennium Star. Some of the objects chosen by Museum of London curators Jackie Keily and Julia Hoffbrand relate to notorious cases: the Great Train Robbery; the Acid Bath Murders; Dr Crippen and the body in cellar; Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain in 1955; the giant replica diamond installed in the Millennium Dome when word leaked of a plot to steal the most valuable diamond in the world, the £200m Millennium Star.
Related: Met police Black Museum items to go on public display for first timeRelated: Met police Black Museum items to go on public display for first time
However, as well as illustrating advances in detection, including fingerprint evidence and photography, the curators wanted to bring the stories of largely forgotten victims out of the shadows. The tiny pieces of furniture illustrated just such a case. However, as well as illustrating advances in detection, including fingerprint evidence and photography, the curators wanted to bring the stories of largely forgotten victims out of the shadows. The tiny pieces of furniture illustrated such a case.
“There was almost no information with them, and we just couldn’t imagine what they were,” Keily said. “It took quite a bit of digging to find that they related to a famous case in its day, which is now almost forgotten. Poor Emily Kaye could have been any one of us, an ordinary woman working hard, earning her own living, who thought she had met her dream man. She deserves to be remembered.”“There was almost no information with them, and we just couldn’t imagine what they were,” Keily said. “It took quite a bit of digging to find that they related to a famous case in its day, which is now almost forgotten. Poor Emily Kaye could have been any one of us, an ordinary woman working hard, earning her own living, who thought she had met her dream man. She deserves to be remembered.”
In 1924 a clerk at Brixton police station made the minute dining table with a green velvet cover, the chairs, sofa, a coal scuttle and cauldron, along with a model of an Eastbourne bungalow, to illustrate the scene where Kaye died. In 1924 a clerk at Brixton police station made the dining table with a green velvet cover, the chairs, sofa, a coal scuttle and cauldron, along with a model of an Eastbourne bungalow, to illustrate the scene where Kaye died.
She was a 37-year-old secretary who had the bad luck to meet the handsome Patrick Mahon, and agree to set up home with him in Eastbourne. Mahon already had a wife and daughter, had already met somebody else, and poor Kaye was pregnant – and within days of her arrival at the bungalow, dead. The coal scuttle was significant because Mahon claimed he had panicked when she tripped and hit her head: the jury concluded that he murdered her for her meagre savings, dismembered her and partly burned the body. She was a 37-year-old secretary who had the bad luck to meet the handsome Patrick Mahon and agree to set up home with him in Eastbourne. Mahon already had a wife and daughter, had already met somebody else, and Kaye was pregnant – and within days of her arrival at the bungalow, dead. The coal scuttle was significant because Mahon claimed he panicked when she tripped and hit her head: the jury concluded that he murdered her for her meagre savings, dismembered her and partly burned the body.
The case – like many of those selected for the exhibition – changed police procedure because the state pathologist, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, was so shocked when he arrived to find detectives scrabbling for evidence with their bare hands, that he helped introduce the “murder bag” of items such as rubber gloves, tweezers and evidence bags that became the standard kit for collecting samples at the scene of a crime. The case changed police procedure because the state pathologist, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, was so shocked to find detectives scrabbling for evidence with their bare hands that he helped introduce the “murder bag” of items such as rubber gloves and tweezers, and “evidence bags” that became the standard kit for collecting samples at the scene of a crime.
The case also changed newspaper reporting of crime trials forever. A courtroom photograph of Mahon at the moment he was sentenced to death, was widely published and caused shock. Within a year a new law, still in force, banned the taking of photographs or even drawings within a courtroom. The case also changed newspaper reporting of crime trials forever. A courtroom photograph of Mahon at the moment he was sentenced to death was widely published and caused shock. Within a year, a new law, still in force, banned the taking of photographs or even drawings within a courtroom.
The Black Museum was created at Scotland Yard in 1875 as a teaching tool for detectives: Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt recalled that early in his own career he was brought there. “It reminds you of how many detectives have started with almost nothing to go on, and solved extraordinary cases. It also makes you remember that you come in a long tradition of policing in London.” The Black Museum was created at Scotland Yard in 1875 as a teaching tool for detectives. Assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt recalled that early in his own career he was brought there. “It reminds you of how many detectives have started with almost nothing to go on, and solved extraordinary cases. It also makes you remember that you come in a long tradition of policing in London.”
From the start the collection had many older objects, and the exhibition opens with a pistol used in an attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria in 1840, by a mentally unstable barman who later claimed he made the attempt “out of sheer vanity and love of notoriety”. From the start, the collection had many older objects, and the exhibition opens with a pistol used in an attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria in 1840 by a mentally unstable barman who later claimed he did it “out of sheer vanity and love of notoriety”.
Although many of the exhibits relate to murder, other crimes covered include drug dealing, forgery, illegal abortions and a rigged roulette wheel seized by police at Barnet fair in 1885: the fair was famously rowdy and lawless and the Barnet Press reported that one year 20 plainclothes detectives, four sergeants and 44 policemen had to be called in to keep order. Although many of the exhibits relate to murder, other crimes covered include drug dealing, forgery, illegal abortions and a rigged roulette wheel seized by police at Barnet fair in 1885: the fair was famously rowdy and lawless, and the Barnet Press reported that for one year 20 plainclothes detectives, four sergeants and 44 policemen had to be called in to keep order.
Although they were given a free hand, the curators have been careful to avoid cases that might distress living relatives – such as the families of those killed by the mass murderer Dennis Nilsen. “I’m very happy with the choice they’ve made and the use they’ve made of it,” Hewitt said. “You won’t be surprised to hear that I’m not very keen on anything that glorifies or glamorises crime and criminals.” The curators were given a free hand, but have been careful to avoid cases that might distress living relatives – such as the families of those killed by the mass murderer Dennis Nilsen. “I’m very happy with the choice they’ve made and the use they’ve made of it,” Hewitt said. “You won’t be surprised to hear that I’m not very keen on anything that glorifies or glamorises crime and criminals.”