Police Mugshot Books
Description and photographs of convicted persons

The 'mugshot books' - officially titled 'Description and photographs of convicted persons' (Series refs: GRS 18642 (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) and GRG5/58 (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site)) but around the office and in our Research Centre, we call them the mugshot books.

The books feature photographs and brief descriptions of individuals arrested primarily in and around the Adelaide area from 1895 to 1965 (with gaps) – a period covering two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the wave of post-war immigration.

What I find most interesting about the books is the snapshot of a person’s life that each page contains. Featured in the records are the birthplace and occupation of the person, which can be insightful information, particular for family historians.

The remarks about their criminal history can provide several years of information and can include convictions from interstate and overseas, as seen on the image featured here for Roy Freeman.

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Flicking through these books, it’s hard not to stop and read about someone like Roy Freeman.

Roy Freeman a life of crime as a traveller

Freeman appears to have led a life of crime as a “traveller” throughout Australia and New Zealand.

In 1926 he was convicted by the Supreme Court at Adelaide for housebreaking with intent to steal.

Mrs Lena Richardson of Medindie found Freeman attempting to enter her house through the kitchen window, where she “smacked his face” and said, “How dare you break into my house?” (1)

A number of postal workers were in the street, and one managed to chase Freeman through several houses before apprehending him.

Detective Photographer William Lingwood Smith worked for South Australian Police from 1888 to 1922

Before 1922 most of the images in these books were taken by Detective Photographer William Lingwood Smith, who worked in the South Australian Police from 1888 until his retirement in 1922.

As well as photographing those convicted at the City Watchhouse, Smith would at times also draw their tattoos.

Pictured is an example from the description of James Farley of Liverpool who was convicted of unlawful possession in 1920 and had tattoos on each of his forearms.

Always a popular record in our displays

I suspect I’m not alone in calling these particular books my favourite record as they are always a popular item on display when tour groups visit. These records are a true page-turner.

These books have recently been indexed by our great volunteer team, so keep an eye out for a self-searchable online index on our website soon! In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about some of the interesting characters we’ve found in these books, take a look at our Flickr gallery (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) for more mugshots.

Reference:

1. The Register, Friday 23 July 1926, page 6. Available online: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/5106048 (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site), accessed 6 January 2025