3-074-571 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in Scotland-Yard: types of habitual criminals, showing the position in which they are photographed at the Convict Office, 1883. 'Francis Wilks; Charles Fovier; Fred Brown; J. Smith; George Pit; Thomas G. Jones; Frederick Snook...prisoners who are under remand, or awaiting trial, can only be photographed by their own consent. "The photographs should be taken," is observed by the Director, "as near the convict's or prisoner's liberation as possible, and in ordinary dress; and the face should be placed in half-profile, so that the shape of the nose may appear." We may add that it is also considered desirable to make the men hold their hands up so as to be shown in their photographs; for the police are wont to scrutinise the hands very attentively, finding their shape and condition extremely significant; and the hand of any person, if properly studied, will be found to have a strong character of individuality. Our Artist has copied the portraits of eight habitual criminals, showing the position in which they were photographed. In the register books, each photograph is accompanied by the name of the man, the letter and number assigned to him during his imprisonment, and the date, in figures, at which the photograph was taken'. From "Illustrated London News", 1883.