Vintage Photos, Genealogy & Crime Stories
A few months ago I bought 15 rare photos from an established Oakland ephemera dealer who sells vintage mugshots. Here's what he knew about the photos: "These came in the large collection I purchased of San Francisco police mug shots over twenty years ago. A man in his 90s sold them to the owner of the … Continue reading San Francisco’s Secret Sex Workers
It was the summer of 1929. Lillian Douglas was partying with friends at a private apartment in Chicago when the police showed up, looking for Earl Reed and Winfield “Windy” Seeman. The cops claimed Reed, a career criminal wanted for murder in St. Louis, had been driven to Chicago by Seeman in his Nash automobile. … Continue reading The Apartment
In my previous post I discussed an 1890s era mugshot in which two photographs were taken of the same man and combined to create a composite photo. I couldn't find out much about the man in the photos, however one thing is certain: he cooperated with having his photo taken. That was not always the … Continue reading The Struggle
I purchased this photo because I’d never seen one like it. It was made in 1892 at the Woolfall & Welcome photography studio. The business was in Pittsfield, a city near the western edge of Massachusetts. There are few examples on the web of the work of Woolfall & Welcome, so my guess is that … Continue reading Two in One
I’ve pretty much stopped buying vintage mugshots on eBay because there’s almost nothing of interest for sale, but recently two photos popped up that captured my eye. They were CDVs of two young African American males, both of whom had been arrested in 1895 for “housebraking,” according to the backs of the cards. The photos … Continue reading “Housebraking”
Pearl Clifton had a serious love of drink, along with a tendency to be reckless, which her taste for booze didn’t help. On the night of February 27, 1897, her world came crashing down when she was arrested after her ill-fated attempt to burn down her house at 250 Normal Avenue in Buffalo, New York. … Continue reading Older Than the Hills in Crime
It was the kind of hot night in July when tempers easily flare. That night William "Babe" Quinn tangled with William McBee over a ten cent can of beer in an alley behind a meat packing house in Kansas City, Kansas. Babe’s knife ended up in William’s side. He fled the scene. William was taken … Continue reading The Forgotten Man
Naturally before writing my biography of nineteenth century conwoman, Sophie Lyons, I researched her life extensively. I was successful in tracing the lives of her various husbands and children. But one notable exception to my success was Sophie’s third daughter, Charlotte Lyons, known as Lotta Belmont. Born 1875 in Montreal, Canada, Lotta arrived during a … Continue reading A Granddaughter in Vienna
Kate Dickson first appeared in the racist newspapers of Leavenworth, Kansas on August 29, 1895, when The Leavenworth Times reported that she had been stabbed three or four times on the breast by “the notorious Lulu Jefferson,” and that “none of the stabs were fatel.” The news report included the information that Kate had also … Continue reading Slashed
Her dress, with its soft silhouette and wide fabric belt, emphasizes her generous bust. The bodice of the dress is covered with lace or embroidery. Based on the dress, which is all I have to go on, I’d guess the photo of this fashionable, attractive woman was taken around 1910. It's possible the photo was … Continue reading Hiding the Camera?
A couple of months ago this image caught my eye when I saw it for sale at an online vintage photo fair. The seller titled it "Four mug shots framed in a mat with a prisoner stripe motif." Obviously, I wasn't able to examine it in person, but got in touch with the seller and … Continue reading An Odd Display
A Brooklyn resident named Rosa Rivera had her fortune told on Thursday, January 16, 1947. During the session Rosa mentioned that she had $800 socked away in her bank account. The fortuneteller’s ears perked up when she heard about the nest egg. She told Rosa to go to the bank, remove the cash, bring it … Continue reading Brooklyn Bad Fortune
Captured and Exposed 