Victorian Mugshots: Police Portraits Of Criminals From The Turn Of The Century Go Up For Sale (PICTURES)

Scars, Seaman And Brothel Thieves: Victorian Mugshots Go up For Sale

With their bowlers, waistcoats and cold-eyed stares, these mugshots of Victorian criminals show that while yesteryear's felons might have been more genteel, they were no less intimidating.

The police portraits are from a Manchester Detective Inspector's notebook, which is estimated to have been compiled around the turn of the 20th century.

Experts at Bonhams auctioneers, where the pocket journal is now up for sale, don't believe that the jotter was an official record, but was used by the DI to record criminals well known to the officer.

Personal scribblings underneath the pasted in pictures record ages, crimes and distinguishing features.

Many of the Victorian villains are repeat offenders, their petty crimes offering an interesting insight into Manchester's underworld during the industrial age.

One man is listed as stealing pigeons, while another lists details such as: "Lawrence Hy James... housebreaker, poses as a sewing machine agent, enters by false keys. Wanted at Sheffield."

Jose Dias, from Cuba is described as having "been deported several times", as well as a stealing a gold watch and having the alias of Joseph Dejour.

Felon Samuel Jackson is known for the "abscess scars" scrawled across his neck (hidden by a scarf), while pasted in pictures of brothel thieves show that it wasn't just men that the Detective Inspector came across on his rounds.

The notebook is expected to sell for between £800-1,200, which is probably more than these thieves, bounders and pickpockets managed to purloin between them.

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