The Art of Mug Shots: From Crime to Culture in Photography
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In the early era of photography, certain police departments seized the opportunity to adopt this innovative medium, leading to the creation of the mug shot.
He stands with confidence, leaning back slightly, his posture relaxed. His jacket is open, revealing a tie neatly tucked in. Though he casts his gaze away, there's an unmistakable awareness of the camera aimed at him. This is W. Cahill, and it seems he regards his situation with nonchalance.
The specifics of his charges remain ambiguous, but we find ourselves in the winter of 1923, New South Wales, Australia.
His expression suggests, "This is just a minor issue; I'll be out in no time."
The courtyard of a Sydney police station, bathed in ample natural light, provides an ideal backdrop for the photographer. The soft, diffused sunlight enhances the subject, while the large-format camera captures a clarity that contrasts sharply with today's hyper-detailed digital images.
In another photograph, we see striking ice-blue eyes, even in monochrome. Leaning on a chair, this individual, dressed in a suit without a tie, conveys annoyance more than fear. A soft wool cap sits atop his head, and his glare seems to dare the viewer to find fault in him.
This look might be likened to what we now refer to as “Blue steel.”
Fast forward to recent events, and we find Donald J. Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, processed at Fulton County's notorious Rice Street Jail due to their alleged attempts to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election.
As per standard procedure, all defendants were fingerprinted, and mug shots were taken. Most had already negotiated their release terms, bypassing the need for a bail hearing.
Trump's processing lasted just twenty minutes, suggesting preferential treatment amidst the surrounding commotion. This marked his fourth felony indictment in as many months, but notably, it was the first time he faced the indignity of a mug shot. Attempting to project defiance, he instead resembled a character from a Stanley Kubrick film.
This mug shot, being that of a former president, is unprecedented in U.S. history, yet it stands as just another artifact in a long line of controversies associated with an unprincipled individual who held the nation's highest office. As a mug shot, it remains neutral—neither beneficial nor detrimental to Trump as a candidate or defendant.
However, collectively, these images serve as a stark reminder of how the criminal justice system has often employed mug shots to cast a presumption of guilt over anyone accused of a crime. The poor quality, harsh lighting, and unfortunate angles strip away the subjects' humanity.
Yet, this portrayal of individuals hasn't always been the case.
A Brief History of Mug Shots
In the early days of photography, capturing criminals—both living and deceased—was a common practice, often accompanied by graphic depictions of battlefields. While the images carried a sense of macabre fascination, they also captivated public interest.
The modern mug shot, characterized by a front and side profile, was pioneered by French police officer Alphonse Bertillon. His system, known as the Bertillon System, involved specific anthropometric measurements: 1) head length, 2) head breadth, 3) length of the middle finger, 4) left foot length, and 5) the length from elbow to fingertip.¹
These measurements were documented alongside two images on a card, which served to track suspects and repeat offenders. Eventually, fingerprints replaced these measurements as the primary identification method, but mug shots persisted.
As early as 1841, French authorities were taking daguerreotypes for prisoner identification, while the oldest surviving mug shot dates back to the Belgian police in 1843. Bertillon also standardized crime scene photography using a tripod-mounted camera to capture bodies from above, documenting their surroundings.²
By the 1850s, police departments in Europe, North America, and Australia had adopted photography for identifying and cataloging individuals arrested for crimes ranging from petty theft to serious offenses. In 1958, the New York Police Department introduced a "Rogue's Gallery," purportedly to help the public recognize local criminals, though critics dismissed it as mere voyeurism.²
An Artful Dodger
In the early 1900s, Clara Smith, a Northern California photographer, began capturing mug shots for local law enforcement. Between 1901 and 1908, she documented numerous suspects with striking beauty and emotional depth. Following the era's conventions, she etched the suspects' names and alleged crimes directly onto the negatives.³
Despite the artistry, her subjects often appeared disheartened, lacking the bravado seen in others of the time. The harsh realities of life in early 20th-century Northern California are palpable in these images.
Casual Criminality in New South Wales
Meanwhile, across the globe, a police chief in New South Wales was embracing new technologies to enhance law enforcement. The unidentified photographers from that time captured a wonderfully expressive era. Unlike the more rigid portraits of Bertillon or Smith, Sydney's police images reflect a modern portraiture style.
These Australian mug shots are distinctive, focusing on close-ups without hats and full-length portraits against casual settings, often showing subjects next to chairs for scale. Many subjects adopted poses that conveyed their personalities, sometimes appearing relaxed with a hand-rolled cigarette in hand.
Moving Away from the Mug Shot
As advancements in forensic science emerged, particularly with fingerprints and DNA analysis, the relevance of mug shots diminished. Some police departments have even ceased publicizing mug shots while still retaining them in their records.
Critics have highlighted how mug shots can unfairly shape public perceptions, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about racial groups and crime.
Many news outlets have also shifted away from routinely publishing mug shots, opting to do so only in matters of public safety.
It's unlikely that the artful mug shot will make a comeback, with high-tech biometric scanners likely to replace it in the future. However, for now, visual identification remains a primary tool for law enforcement seeking public assistance in locating individuals.
This shift reflects a broader trend in which the artistry of photography is overshadowed by utilitarianism. The essence of what it means to be a photographer or filmmaker seems to be fading, with digital manipulation often prioritizing presentation over substance.
Mug shots from the early 20th century reveal subjects whose humanity still shines through. Even if they faced temporary loss of freedom, their dignity remained intact.
In contrast, modern mug shots often lack quality, with harsh lighting and a sterile appearance that dehumanizes the subject. It feels as if the images carry an implicit "guilty" stamp.
Not all advancements yield better outcomes; sometimes, older methods, despite their challenges, produced superior results. Society seems to be leaning towards disposability and digital convenience at the expense of artistry and beauty.
I playfully suggested to my local police department that they could outsource their mug shots to me. Perhaps I could recreate the bygone glory of New South Wales photography and restore some humanity to the justice system.
We could do worse.
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