Oct 19, 2017 - Sale 2458

Sale 2458 - Lot 329

Price Realized: $ 7,500
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 7,000 - $ 10,000
(CRIME--MUGSHOTS)
A vast mugshot album containing approximately 2,270 double mugshot photographs of Prohibition-era criminals from Phoenix, Arizona.
Containing beautifully taken portraits, both in and outdoors, depicting criminals named A through L of many ethnicities including but not limited to: Italian, African American, Mexican, Native American, Chinese, and English, booked for all manner of crimes, such as breaking glass on sidewalk, shoplifting, auto prowler, prostitution, Marihuana [sic], mooching, selling phoney jewelry, hold up, vagrancy, Navy deserter, and many more. Silver prints, the images measuring approximately 2 1/2x4 1/2 inches (6.4x11.4 cm.), with some slightly larger, mounted recto/verso, up to 6 to a page, each with typed captions below identifying the criminal's crime, hair color, eye color, age, height, weight, complexion, build, occupation, place of birth, date and arresting officers, and sentence. Thick oblong 4to, corduroy and leather covered boards; twin-bolt binding. 1918-28

Additional Details

A large number of the mugshot photographs in this album were taken outdoors, in natural light. The accomplished photographer appears to have connected with his subjects, posing them sitting atop and standing against a brick wall. Certain photographs provide an otherwise unseen glimpse into the lives of the criminals, showing them smiling, gazing longingly into the distance, and on occasion laughing.

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