Monday, May 18, 2015

Metropolitan Police Museum....While Getting a Bit Wet!


Thursday, we went to the Metropolitan Police Museum. There, we got to see many things that are important in the history of the Metropolitan Police. Some of the things we got to see were the changes in woman police uniforms over the years since they have been able to become police officers. It was interesting to see that the many women were not even given a wooden truncheon to protect themselves. If they were given one, they were shorter than the ones that men received. This is quite common amongst the duties of women because they have always been seen as not being equals.

The other cool thing we got to see were copies of the notes from the Jack the Ripper case that happened in London. We were able to see all the copies of the police notes and some pictures of the girls that had their throats slit by the proposed “Jack the Ripper”. We learned that there were rumors that “Jack the Ripper” may have been a woman so was also called “Jill the Ripper”. To me this was really interesting especially since woman were not equal to men in the workplace.  So, one would think that women would not be able to pull off a crime such as those of Jack the Ripper.

We got to see many other things including a bomb that was put on the desk of the police commissioner and the metal casing of the bomb was still intact. Then we also got to see tigers claws that were taken off of a lion that took Commissioner Bradford's arm clean off. He lost his left arm in a tiger attack whilst serving in the army in India in 1863, and thereafter he rode a horse holding the reins in his teeth. The police department kept the claws and has them in a glass case. Another interesting thing we got to see were the medals that many police officers have received.

After leaving the museum, we went to the Natural History Museum. I have to say that London really gives a new definition to a museum. It was huge! The museum had all sorts of animals all the way from dinosaurs to many extinct sloths. A floor of the museum was also all about minerals and had many that one could look at. There was even an escalator that went upstairs and took you through what appeared to be the middle of the earth where the hot lava is made. It was quite cool!

It was a fantastic day, but boy was it cold and wet. It rained the whole day off and on. No wonder they have such green vegetation here, the weather fluctuates and is unpredictable just like back home. Good thing I am used to that!

3 comments:

  1. I had heard the theory once that "Jack the ripper" was female, but I imagine they didn't want to ruin the history that they had when they thought it was a male, chauvinism prolly is the biggest reason. Even as far back as colonial time, ie: the scarlet letter for an adultress, when men weren't punished at all for that, among other things, there was always a double standard. IDK if there still is or not!? Do you sense it?

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  2. Most definitely! There will always be a double standard with everything. The biggest today is still the issue of females being sexually active is a horrible thing but it's perfectly accepted if men are sexually active. I don't think that this standard will ever change.

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  3. FUN!! Sounds like you got to see ALOT!! =) I agree with the Double Standard!! It will ALWAYS be that way!!

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