# 1920's arrest photos from Australia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363 "2012-02-19T22:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/1 "2012-02-19T22:46:40Z")
Interesting glimpse into the past. I was struck by how much older and beat up these people looked. Says a lot about the difficulties and hardships they must have faced. > **[Drug dealers, backstreet abortionists and a deadly femme fatale: Fascinating...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103393/Womens-mug-shots-1920s-Australia.html)** > > The incredible pictures are part of a collection of 2500 mugshots taken by New South Wales Police Department photographers between 1910 and 1930. This lady could have been very attractive, but even at 24 she was aging quickly. Looked at least 35 by todays standards. > [@](#): > > Bigamist: By the age of 24 Alice Adeline Cooke had amassed a number of aliases and at least two husbands ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/2 "2012-02-19T23:01:49Z")
I found the museum photo archive the news article referenced. Searched for “criminal” and got 86 hits of 1920’s mug shots. I may look at these later when I have the time. [http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/resultsPicture.jsp?userId=&customValue\_1=criminal&customField\_1=C.SEARCHAUTHOR&customMatch\_1=AND&customCombine\_1=OR&customValue\_2=criminal&customField\_2=C.SUBJECT\_GEOG&customMatch\_2=AND&customCombine\_2=OR&customValue\_3=criminal&customField\_3=C.SEARCHSUBJECT&customMatch\_3=AND&customCombine\_3=OR&customCheckbox\_1=on&customCheckbox\_2=on&customCheckbox\_3=on&allCheck=on&inputSearch=criminal&refineQuery=null](http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/resultsPicture.jsp?userId=&customValue_1=criminal&customField_1=C.SEARCHAUTHOR&customMatch_1=AND&customCombine_1=OR&customValue_2=criminal&customField_2=C.SUBJECT_GEOG&customMatch_2=AND&customCombine_2=OR&customValue_3=criminal&customField_3=C.SEARCHSUBJECT&customMatch_3=AND&customCombine_3=OR&customCheckbox_1=on&customCheckbox_2=on&customCheckbox_3=on&allCheck=on&inputSearch=criminal&refineQuery=null) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/3 "2012-02-19T23:15:26Z")
Boy, clothes weren’t very flattering back then, were they? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/4 "2012-02-19T23:35:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This lady could have been very attractive, but even at 24 she was aging quickly. Looked at least 35 by todays standards. If you got any modern 24 year old and photographed them in the same conditions I’m not sure the results would be that different. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/5 "2012-02-19T23:37:04Z")
That’s true. Especially the prostitute, Elizabeth Singleton’s clothes. I can’t imagine her attracting much business. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Boy, clothes weren’t very flattering back then, were they? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/6 "2012-02-19T23:45:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I found the museum photo archive the news article referenced. > > Searched for “criminal” and got 86 hits of 1920’s mug shots. I may look at these later when I have the time. > [http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/resultsPicture.jsp?userId=&customValue\_1=criminal&customField\_1=C.SEARCHAUTHOR&customMatch\_1=AND&customCombine\_1=OR&customValue\_2=criminal&customField\_2=C.SUBJECT\_GEOG&customMatch\_2=AND&customCombine\_2=OR&customValue\_3=criminal&customField\_3=C.SEARCHSUBJECT&customMatch\_3=AND&customCombine\_3=OR&customCheckbox\_1=on&customCheckbox\_2=on&customCheckbox\_3=on&allCheck=on&inputSearch=criminal&refineQuery=null](http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/resultsPicture.jsp?userId=&customValue_1=criminal&customField_1=C.SEARCHAUTHOR&customMatch_1=AND&customCombine_1=OR&customValue_2=criminal&customField_2=C.SUBJECT_GEOG&customMatch_2=AND&customCombine_2=OR&customValue_3=criminal&customField_3=C.SEARCHSUBJECT&customMatch_3=AND&customCombine_3=OR&customCheckbox_1=on&customCheckbox_2=on&customCheckbox_3=on&allCheck=on&inputSearch=criminal&refineQuery=null) It really annoys the hell out of me when newspapers simply lift material like this without even having the courtesy to provide a link to the original material. While the stuff is probably out of copyright, and the paper has every right to use the pictures, they could at least acknowledge the effort required to get these old photos online by providing a reference and a link. ---
**Author:** ![KneeSid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dec6dc/32.png) [@KneeSid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneeSid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/7 "2012-02-19T23:51:29Z")
Cool site thanks If you really look at their faces they do look young Like Vera Crichton, 23 (left) conspired with two other women to ‘procure a miscarriage on a third woman’. She looks old at first glance but look at her face. She looks young if you just focus on her face I looked at Alice Cook. Just focus on her face, she is pretty and young. I would say she’s in her mid 20s. But that’s a cool site, again I say thanks for sharing ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/8 "2012-02-20T00:30:55Z")
Both this and [www.shorpy.com](http://www.shorpy.com) make me realize a BIG difference between now and then is hair-care products. (more likely hygiene in general) ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/9 "2012-02-20T00:47:04Z")
[http://www.laboiteverte.fr/portraits-de-criminels-australiens-dans-les-annees-1920/](http://www.laboiteverte.fr/portraits-de-criminels-australiens-dans-les-annees-1920/) A lot of the same photos, but a lot of new ones too. Some of the guys in here look goddamn scary. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/10 "2012-02-20T04:05:33Z")
I noticed the class divide. The lower, impoverished class clothing was noticeably different. Things are different today. The person you see in jeans and T-shirt with a bands logo maybe on food stamps or very wealthy. Clothes aren’t that much of an indication any more. . She had stylish clothes for that time. I think we know why too? 😃 > [@](#): > > Doris Poole appeared before the Newtown Police Court charged with stealing jewellery and clothing. She had previously been convicted on a similar charge in North Sydney and so received a six-month sentence with light labour This lady had much plainer and worn clothing. A lot of the other ladies had similar clothes. > [@](#): > > On the game: Elizabeth Singleton had multiple convictions for soliciting and was described in police records as a common prostitute. She was imprisoned at Long Bay but the details of her sentence have been lost > **[Drug dealers, backstreet abortionists and a deadly femme fatale: Fascinating...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103393/Womens-mug-shots-1920s-Australia.html)** > > The incredible pictures are part of a collection of 2500 mugshots taken by New South Wales Police Department photographers between 1910 and 1930. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/11 "2012-02-20T04:08:17Z")
> [@keeganst94](#): > > [http://www.laboiteverte.fr/portraits-de-criminels-australiens-dans-les-annees-1920/](http://www.laboiteverte.fr/portraits-de-criminels-australiens-dans-les-annees-1920/) > > A lot of the same photos, but a lot of new ones too. Some of the guys in here look goddamn scary. “Mr. Fourth From the Bottom” is scary _hot_, is what he is. I wonder about the two cross-dressers? Gay? Transvestites? Transgender? Just out for a lark? Their world was so much narrower in the 1920s, more so in Australia, I imagine, than in Berlin or Paris or New York. They have those great “oh, fuck you, Mary” grins on their faces, though. ---
**Author:** ![Pops1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Pops1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pops1963)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/12 "2012-02-20T06:00:36Z")
Mr. Gracy and Dalton have the appearance of a couple individuals you would not want to cross.(first picture) Fay Watson (5th from the bottom was way attractive) Having said all that why can I not wear a hat like these people? ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/13 "2012-02-20T20:14:55Z")
> [@Pops1963](#): > > Mr. Gracy and Dalton have the appearance of a couple individuals you would not want to cross.(first picture) Fay Watson (5th from the bottom was way attractive) > Having said all that why can I not wear a hat like these people? Did any Terry Pratchett fans think ‘Mr Pin and Mr Tulip?’ 😃 > [@Eve](#): > > “Mr. Fourth From the Bottom” is scary _hot_, is what he is. > > I wonder about the two cross-dressers? Gay? Transvestites? Transgender? Just out for a lark? Their world was so much narrower in the 1920s, more so in Australia, I imagine, than in Berlin or Paris or New York. They have those great “oh, fuck you, Mary” grins on their faces, though. EDIT: Oops-failed to spot the right ones . Obviously I don’t spend enough time in bars in the 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/14 "2012-02-21T02:05:36Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Both this and [www.shorpy.com](http://www.shorpy.com) make me realize a BIG difference between now and then is hair-care products. (more likely hygiene in general) Yeah, these people all look like they smelled like tobacco smoke and week-old BO. And those are the _clean_ ones. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/15 "2012-02-23T15:07:49Z")
I found out more about no. 8, the fellow in the last shot, in his socksies: He was Henry Reid, a 5’7" coke-dealing blacksmith, and this shot was taken on January 7, 1930. [Stunning Australian mug shots taken in the 1920s | Dangerous Minds](http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/stunning_australian_mug_shots_taken_in_the_1920s) [scribbling on notebook] "Mr. and Mrs. Coke-Dealing Blacksmith . . . " "_Dr_. and Mrs. Coke-Dealing Blacksmith . . . " ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/16 "2012-02-23T16:28:57Z")
It would be fascinating to research some of these people and see how their lives unfolded after jail. Surviving relatives could provide a lot of insight. A lot of the women in these photos were convicted for aiding or botching abortions. They were probably midwives that also terminated pregnancies. I can easily see them leading normal lives after prison. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/17 "2012-02-23T20:42:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This lady could have been very attractive, but even at 24 she was aging quickly. Looked at least 35 by todays standards. Besides being nice looking, she looks confident and intelligent. I think I \<3 Alice Cooke.🙂 Fay Watson’s gotta be a man. Her face is very mannish (reminds me of Ann Coulter) and there’s no hint of breasts on her. Old photos of Australian criminals seems to be in vogue these days. For some time, [Archaeology.org](http://Archaeology.org) has had a main page feature of [male Australians who served time in the 1800s](http://www.archaeology.org/1107/web/australia_slideshow.html). This was still when British convicts were being sent to Australia, so their records shouldn’t be surprising, I guess, but while some made honest men of themselves, these guys couldnt’ seem to break out of the petty criminal life, despite being constantly returned to what must have been lousy conditions in the prisons. Some sad stories. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/18 "2012-02-23T20:50:16Z")
Old photos of convicts in general seem to be in vogue lately. I think someone here posted this link before: [Digital Collections - Home](http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=all&col_id=180) It’s photos of Irish convicts between the 1850s and 1860s. There are some beautiful shots. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-arrest-photos-from-australia/613363/19 "2012-02-23T22:16:40Z")
Indeed. Thanks for the link. Interesting how they look like they’re sitting for portraits for the living room wall. I guess the idea of the simple mug shot came later.