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Criminals during the First World War – A collection of 35 vintage mugshots in North Shields, England

Photographing of criminals began in the 1840s only a few years after the invention of photography, but it was not until 1888 that French police officer Alphonse Bertillon standardized the process. A mug shot or mugshot (an informal term for police photograph, or booking photograph), is a photographic portrait typically taken after a person is arrested. The mug shot has been an essential police procedure around the world. “Mug” is an English slang term for “face, and the original purpose of the mug shot was to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of an arrested individual to allow for identification by victims and investigators. Mug shots and the associated information are published regardless of whether or not the person is guilty or has been convicted of the crime they were arrested for. Generally, officials took full-face and profile photographs. If convicted, men had another set of images taken after their hair and beards were shaved off to limit the spread of lice. Women’s hair was not shaved.

Here is a vintage full-face mugshot collection of 35 prisoner photographs in North Shields, England during the First World War, both men and women, arrested for stealing money, breaking and entering, assault or even stealing ducks.

 

 

Charles S. Jones, arrested for stealing from clothes lines, 15 September 1914
Charles S. Jones, arrested for stealing from clothes lines, 15 September 1914

 

 

Christina Austin, arrested for stealing dresses, 11 July 1916
Christina Austin, arrested for stealing dresses, 11 July 1916

 

 

Christina Haggerty, arrested for stealing money, 9 February 1916
Christina Haggerty, arrested for stealing money, 9 February 1916

 

 

Frederick Ellwood, fireman, arrested for breaking and entering, 4 August 1914
Frederick Ellwood, fireman, arrested for breaking and entering, 4 August 1914

 

 

George Bamlett, grocer, arrested for assault, 19 October 1914
George Bamlett, grocer, arrested for assault, 19 October 1914

 

 

George Fay, soldier, arrested for stealing, 9 December 1915
George Fay, soldier, arrested for stealing, 9 December 1915

 

 

George Walker, soldier, arrested for cashing a forged cheque, 15 March 1916
George Walker, soldier, arrested for cashing a forged cheque, 15 March 1916

 

 

Isabella McQue alias Hubbart, arrested for stealing a sealskin coat, 18 February 1915
Isabella McQue alias Hubbart, arrested for stealing a sealskin coat, 18 February 1915

 

 

James George Chase, munitions worker, arrested for obtaining money by false pretences, 22 January 1916
James George Chase, munitions worker, arrested for obtaining money by false pretences, 22 January 1916

 

 

James White, seaman, arrested for thefts from the Tyne Sailors’ Home, 13 March 1915
James White, seaman, arrested for thefts from the Tyne Sailors’ Home, 13 March 1915

 

 

Jane A. Teasdale, arrested for obtaining food and lodgings by false pretences, 9 September 1915
Jane A. Teasdale, arrested for obtaining food and lodgings by false pretences, 9 September 1915

 

 

 

 

 

Jane Agnes Duffy, arrested for theft, 9 December 1914
Jane Agnes Duffy, arrested for theft, 9 December 1914

 

 

Jesse Rudd, arrested for stealing money from a gas meter, 6 May 1915
Jesse Rudd, arrested for stealing money from a gas meter, 6 May 1915

 

 

John P. Wilson, soldier, arrested for theft, 21 January 1916
John P. Wilson, soldier, arrested for theft, 21 January 1916

 

 

John Stewart, miner, arrested for stealing ducks and hens, 24 August 1914
John Stewart, miner, arrested for stealing ducks and hens, 24 August 1914

 

 

John T. Ingleson, soldier, arrested for breaking and entering, 30 March 1915
John T. Ingleson, soldier, arrested for breaking and entering, 30 March 1915

 

 

John W. Hoole alias Thomas McNeish, arrested for stealing money, 6 July 1915
John W. Hoole alias Thomas McNeish, arrested for stealing money, 6 July 1915

 

 

Lawrence Armstrong alias Hanby, soldier, arrested for theft, 30 September 1915
Lawrence Armstrong alias Hanby, soldier, arrested for theft, 30 September 1915

 

 

Lillian Tibbs, arrested for stealing a dress, 12 September 1914
Lillian Tibbs, arrested for stealing a dress, 12 September 1914

 

 

Mark Schidlossky, seaman, arrested for robbery, 3 October 1914
Mark Schidlossky, seaman, arrested for robbery, 3 October 1914

 

 

Matthew M. Lamb, trawler-hand, arrested for breaking and entering, 5 October 1914
Matthew M. Lamb, trawler-hand, arrested for breaking and entering, 5 October 1914

 

 

Mona Wilson, arrested for theft, 21 January 1916
Mona Wilson, arrested for theft, 21 January 1916

 

 

Peter Taylor, coppersmith, arrested for stealing from his employers, 13 May 1915
Peter Taylor, coppersmith, arrested for stealing from his employers, 13 May 1915

 

 

 

 

Reginald Stains alias Brown, chief steward, arrested for false pretences, 4 December 1915
Reginald Stains alias Brown, chief steward, arrested for false pretences, 4 December 1915

 

 

Robert Jackson, hawker, arrested for stealing money, 2 July 1915
Robert Jackson, hawker, arrested for stealing money, 2 July 1915

 

 

Robert Muir, miner, arrested for stealing potatoes, 17 August 1914
Robert Muir, miner, arrested for stealing potatoes, 17 August 1914

 

 

Rolf Halversen, fireman, arrested for stealing money, 15 December 1914
Rolf Halversen, fireman, arrested for stealing money, 15 December 1914

 

 

Sarah Cuthill, arrested for stealing clothes, 20 July 1916
Sarah Cuthill, arrested for stealing clothes, 20 July 1916

 

 

Sarah Dowd, arrested for stealing money, 9 February 1916
Sarah Dowd, arrested for stealing money, 9 February 1916

 

 

Thomas Dodds, labourer, arrested for robbery, 3 October 1914
Thomas Dodds, labourer, arrested for robbery, 3 October 1914

 

 

Thomas Harrington, arrested for indecent assault, 28 September 1914
Thomas Harrington, arrested for indecent assault, 28 September 1914

 

 

Thomas Henry Miller, soldier, arrested for theft, 25 November 1915
Thomas Henry Miller, soldier, arrested for theft, 25 November 1915

 

 

Walter Firth, soldier, arrested for pawning military uniform, 19 October 1914
Walter Firth, soldier, arrested for pawning military uniform, 19 October 1914

 

 

Wilhelmina Armstrong, arrested for stealing dresses, 11 July 1916
Wilhelmina Armstrong, arrested for stealing dresses, 11 July 1916

 

 

William Glendinning, labourer, arrested for theft, 22 February 1915
William Glendinning, labourer, arrested for theft, 22 February 1915

 

 

Photos credit: tvmnews/flickr

 

David Goran

David Goran is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News