Comments on: criminals, corpses & crime scenes - a vintage collection

criminals, corpses & crime scenes - a vintage collection

madamjujujive — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:50:03 -0800

Crime and punishment - a curiously compelling and quirky collection of historic crime photos, including unusual mugshots, corpses & crime scenes. A few favorite characters: idle and disorderly persons; "something amazing" about Harry; a cocky quartet; an illicit drug trader who "drives his own motor car and dresses well"; a subject who refused to open his eyes; charged with conspiring to procure a miscarriage; and guilty of unlawfully possessing cocaine.
This is just one of many marvelous vintage image sets from a historical consultant from Amsterdam - a mammoth treasure trove!

By: ForeverDcember

ForeverDcember — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:06:48 -0800

Those photos are amazing. The faces, the expressions. I think the one of "Harry" is the most intriguing. What an interesting story. Thanks for sharing!

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:10:39 -0800

mjjj: there was a recent exhibition in sydney of old crime photos like this (i haven't confirmed it yet, but i believe they were also used as a backdrop arty slideshow behind uber-awesome aussie jazz trio *the necks* a few years back at the opera house). i'll see if i can dig something up on this tomorrow morning...

By: Brittanie

Brittanie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:28:43 -0800

I have often wondered: What was that white pen/pencil that was always used in ye olde timeses to write upon photographs?

By: ForeverDcember

ForeverDcember — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:29:16 -0800

This guy is up to something (or was, haha): here. Why are the mugshots so candid? They look more like portraits in some cases than mugshots.

By: YoBananaBoy

YoBananaBoy — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:34:48 -0800

Why are the mugshots so candid? They look more like portraits in some cases than mugshots. I have no idea. But it certainly makes a compelling post. Nice one, madamjujujive.

By: Mercaptan

Mercaptan — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:39:39 -0800

ForeverDcember: People do seem much more unguarded. The big old grin on Neville McQuade's face (idle and disorderly person (left)) really caught me. WWII-era Australia doesn't seem like a great time to be an 'out' female impersonator.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:40:28 -0800

I don't want to know; I don't want to know; I don't want to know.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:40:28 -0800

I don't want to know; I don't want to know; I don't want to know.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:41:04 -0800

Sorry. Posting while hiccupping not recommended.

By: beegull

beegull — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:09:09 -0800

This one includes a good explanation for the casual feeling that these pictures have: This picture is one of a series of around 2500 "special photographs" taken by New South Wales Police Department photographers between 1910 and 1930. These "special photographs" were mostly taken in the cells at the Central Police Station, Sydney and are, as curator Peter Doyle explains, of "men and women recently plucked from the street, often still animated by the dramas surrounding their apprehension". Doyle suggests that, compared with the subjects of prison mug shots, "the subjects of the Special Photographs seem to have been allowed - perhaps invited - to position and compose themselves for the camera as they liked. Their photographic identity thus seems constructed out of a potent alchemy of inborn disposition, personal history, learned habits and idiosyncrasies, chosen personal style (haircut, clothing, accessories) and physical characteristics." It's an amazing set of pictures, so many standing out as really exceptional portraits.

By: thewrongparty

thewrongparty — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:17:42 -0800

ForeverDcember: People do seem much more unguarded. The big old grin on Neville McQuade's face (idle and disorderly person (left)) really caught me. WWII-era Australia doesn't seem like a great time to be an 'out' female impersonator. posted by Mercaptan at 6:39 AM on October 3 [+] [!]

That photo reminds me of this one by Weegee: The Gay Deceiver (1939). (Scroll down) "Rather than hiding her face in shame, as did most of the other people Weegee photographed in the midst of being arrested, The Gay Deceiver makes the most of her appearance before the camera – she lifts her skirt and smiles while stepping daintily out of the paddy wagon."

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:21:03 -0800

Several years ago, I was rummaging through an antique store in Gunnison, CO, and came across a drawer full of original inmate file cards (circa late 1800's-early 1900's) from a Colorado prison. The cards featured mugshots. To this day, I curse myself for not buying the whole drawer, rather than the two cards I did buy.

By: Bovine Love

Bovine Love — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:42:36 -0800

Wow, really fantastic find. I'd actually buy prints of a couple of these I think.

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:30:58 -0800

Cool post. I recommend New York Noir for people who don't mind having corpses in their coffee table books.

By: mmahaffie

mmahaffie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:15:58 -0800

Great find! Thanks. Someone should have Olive (Life of) Riley have a look at these. I think she was in Woolloomooloo at some point way back then.

By: Hairy Lobster

Hairy Lobster — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:55:43 -0800

Great post! A lot of these people look like they stepped out of a Tom Waits song or something.

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:06:08 -0800

Another great find, thanks, mjjj!

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:12:48 -0800

Everything pictures should be. Thanks

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:27:37 -0800

OK...who else went through and just looked at all the chicks?

By: mmahaffie

mmahaffie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:48:35 -0800

OK...who else went through and just looked at all the chicks? And who (else) was fooled by the cross-dressing guys? (If only for a moment)

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:16:41 -0800

As always, amazing post madamjujujive! Wonderful, evocative images that capture the characters and time so well. Some odd contrasts. Granny coke head. Interesting the looks of different emotions. The elegant outfits! Love that bentwood chair. Extraordinary portraits and interesting composition. aww. These guys look like original Sopranos types, radiating deep smug. Yikes. That particular Flickr member, juffrouwjo, has some other amazing Flickr sets.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:59:34 -0800

UbuRoivas: The exhibit was called City of Shadows, held at the Police Museum. There's more about it here. It's rather unsettling that a large part of the associated records for the photos have been lost, and we'll never know more than we can see with our own eyes. I don't know if it makes it worse or better, Mike D, but I'm pretty sure the story of the overturned pram is lost to history.

By: jrochest

jrochest — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:43:07 -0800

These are astounding, but some of the other sets posted by the Flickr member are equally stunning: the series of Dutch cartoons/illustrations from the Nazi era, and the propaganda postcards are fascinating.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:11:10 -0800

It's a good thing I can't view flickr at work, or I would have wasted the entire day!

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:32:59 -0800

This one includes a good explanation for the casual feeling that these pictures have: This picture is one of a series of around 2500 "special photographs" taken by New South Wales Police Department photographers between 1910 and 1930. These "special photographs" were mostly taken in the cells at the Central Police Station, Sydney and are, as curator Peter Doyle explains, of "men and women recently plucked from the street, often still animated by the dramas surrounding their apprehension". uh, ok. that means that some or all of these are from the fascinating City of Shadows exhibition, as identified by the notorious sydney identity "mo" zamboni (no known aliases). in case you missed it, there's a nice large-format art book, which you can buy online from the Historic Houses Trust (see zamboni's link, above) or, if you really must, from Amazon.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:41:31 -0800

right, i'm awake now. i think every photo from #16 (Alfred Ladiwig) onwards is from the aforementioned exhibition & book. and heh - View of the Entrance of Newtown Station - this is where I live! the station entrance still looks pretty much like this...

By: Rangeboy

Rangeboy — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:45:40 -0800

Seconding the recommendation for New York Noir, which sits on my coffee table as I type this. Gruesome but undeniably fascinating.

By: growabrain

growabrain — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:44:12 -0800

amazing!

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:45:55 -0800

That's Newtown station all right! /former Newtown resident, right opposite the park behind the cemetery

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:34:09 -0800

*ahem* - you mean the park above the cemetery, right? you know it used to take up the entire park, and that when they reduced it to the walled area around the church, they moved the headstones but left the bodies in the ground?

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:12:39 -0800

Yeah, but was referring to current circumstances. Used to look through the front window for ghosts on moonlit nights, entirely without success.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:10:55 -0800

Corner of Roberts St and Federation Rd, I think. No. 46 Roberts, from memory.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:28:53 -0800

Used to look through the front window for ghosts on moonlit nights, entirely without success. nah, only junkies going into the cemetery to shoot up, or goths, to have sex. roberts & federation, hey? i know church, on one side, and australia on the other. you must've been on the northern side, where ppl walk their dogs. that'd be about five blocks from my place :) - convenient to the courty & the carlisle castle, too...

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:35:36 -0800

Buy you a beer next time I am up there.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:36:48 -0800

Can also introduce you to The Necks. Old friends.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:54:39 -0800

no wai! you'll shout me a ticket to Berlin to meet Tony? btw, love Lloyd's work on the SMH letters-to-the-editor page. only ever cracked that one once, but can't say i tried for too long.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:01:33 -0800

(afterthought: i have actually chatted with Chris & Tony - at Space 3 Gallery on Cleveland St, where they were performing in the Now Now Festival) bringing this chit-chat back to topic, "people who appreciate the City of Shadows photos might also be interested in The Necks, who apparently used the photos as a backdrop for their concerts a couple of years before the exhibition was held..."

By: taz

taz — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 02:13:22 -0800

First I was riveted by the portraits, and disappointed when they segued into crime scenes... then I started looking at the crime scenes and became totally absorbed. Each one of them is just incredibly poignant and haunting. I'm feeling a little surreal here. Interesting note in the deep smug photo nickyskye mentions: The Crown did not proceed against Thomas O'Brien but the other three were convicted, and received sentences of fifteen months each. Ol' Tom must have ratted the others out.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:57:14 -0800

Crime and Punishment: Why Do We Conform to Society? A pair of brain regions work together to assess the threat of punishment and override our selfish tendencies.