Mugshots From The 1920s - Much Better Than Those Of Modern Times

[Stephen McCullough]

These are so good.

I don't follow the Phoblographer blog, but stumbled across this elsewhere.

Enjoy!

http://www.thephoblographer.com/201...ignificantly-cooler-than-mugshots-from-today/

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Stephen, welcome back! Where've you been?

 

[Hamish Gill]

Those are awesome

 

[Kev Pugh]

Odd to pose suspects in such a manner, almost gives them licence to be threatening in some of them, not the usual front side mug, what a great set!

 

[Dan Cattermole]

You couldn't recreate those if you tried ........ They fab!!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Wow - great set of shots

Some of them have so much depth - amazing stuff

 

[Stephen McCullough]

Stephen, welcome back! Where've you been?

Hi Rob. Nice of you to notice!

Quite simply I have been incredibly busy. Since leaving the for-profit world (i.e. making other people rich) to ply my trade in support of a charity I've been up to my ears in some exciting work.

I agree with you all -these are really interesting and intriguing shots. I love them as photographs, and I love them for the insights they give us into the period.

 

[Keith Hollister]

Great find - there are some really cool photographs in there. It is a fascinating glimpse into the attitudes and customs of the time that these were actually mugshots. There are 3 or 4 of these that most of us would kill to be able to recreate today. Wonder what the lighting was?

 

[Stephen McCullough]

Wonder what the lighting was?

I was wondering the same thing. Funny how some of us might spend considerable time trying to capture the light and texture in some of these...

 

[Keith Hollister]

I was wondering the same thing. Funny how some of us might spend considerable time trying to capture the light and texture in some of these...

I would assume it was either flash (flash powder or bulbs, if late in the century) or large motion picture lights. I doubt they waited until daytime to take the shots with window light, but who knows?

 

[Pete Askew]

Nice find Stephen.

 

[Larry Bolch]

As John Cleese did often say, "Now for something entirely different."

Brought to mind I little project I did a couple of years ago. Denton County, Texas posts mugshots of those arrested for all to see, on the InterWebs. I used a morphing program to evolve through something like 80+ images. And a colourful lot of desperados they are.

To go with the movie, I did a sound-track using and old country tune "I'm In the Jailhouse Now", by Jimmy Rodgers from 1928. I played pedal steel guitar on the recording—from a keyboard! I used about as hokey an arrangement as I could manage, and I am quite pleased with it. Have a giggle.

 

[Kev Pugh]

Some odd ball faces in there Larry but certainly a giggle