History

Celebrity mug shots: Jim Morrison

Celebrity mug shots: Jim Morrison

Two different mug shots of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors,  from 1963 and 1970. In 1963 he was arrested in Tallahassee after pulling a prank while drunk at a Florida State University football game. In 1970 he was arrested indecent exposure and profanity after he exposed himself during a March 1969 concert(…)

The real Butch Cassidy

The real Butch Cassidy

The real Butch Cassidy (looking nothing like Paul Newman) photographed in 1894 in a mug shot from Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. Cassidy’s real name was Robert Leroy Parker and he was a notorious American train and bank robber and leader of the Wild Bunch Gang.

The many hats of 1920s criminals

The many hats of 1920s criminals

I found these photos of 1920s criminals absolutely fascinating, partly because I think mug-shots make for really interesting candid photographs, but also because of the variety of different hats worn by the men in these photos. They were all taken in Calgary in 1920. What do you think they were arrested for? Number 6088 definitely(…)

70s Style Icons: Jackie Stewart

70s Style Icons: Jackie Stewart

Jackie Stewart, or to quote his full name Sir John Young “Jackie” Stewart OBE, is a 3 time Formula 1 World Champion who cut one of the most iconic looks of the 1970s F1 paddock. With his flat cap, aviator style sunglasses and big sideburns (only rivalled in magnificence by those of Emerson Fittipaldi –(…)

Al Capone’s mug shot

Al Capone’s mug shot

A mug shot of American gangster Al  Capone taken in June 1931. He spent 11 years in Alcatraz for tax evasion, which I imagine was one of his lesser crimes!

Edward Steichen’s war photographs

Edward Steichen’s war photographs

Edward Steichen is best known (at least to me) as being one of the main photographers for Vogue and Vanity Fair during the late 1920s and 1930s. He made a name for himself as a war photographer during World War 1 and between the wars became one of the best paid and well-known fashion photographers.(…)

Mug shot of Elvis, 1970

Mug shot of Elvis, 1970

Mug shot of Elvis taken in 1970 when he went to visit President Nixon at the White House. You can see the photos of the meeting here – they make a very strange couple! Source and copyright: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by(…)

Holiday snapshots on the moon

Holiday snapshots on the moon

Photos taken by the astronauts on moon during the Apollo missions in the late 60s and early 70s. The photo above shows a commemorative plaque left on the moon in during Apollo 15 in 1971 to remember the 14 deceased NASA astronauts and USSR cosmonauts. The tiny silver man represents the figure of a fallen astronaut.(…)

Watching the Apollo launches

Watching the Apollo launches

These are photos of the crowds and spectators of the Apollo launches in 1969, which include Apollo 10, 11 and 12. Apart from loving the wonderful array of 1960s sunglasses on display I genuinely envy the people in these pictures. I’ve always been fascinated by space, and vividly remember how excited  I used to watching(…)

1960s NASA: Apollo 1 crew in training

1960s NASA: Apollo 1 crew in training

The crew of NASA’s Apollo 1 training in Florida. The 3-man crew comprised of Virgil I (Gus) Grissom, Edward H. White, II, and Roger B. Chaffee. Sadly they didn’t make it into space as all three were killed shortly after these photos were taken on January 27, 1967 when a fire erupted in their capsule during(…)

Hoisting the Elephant

Hoisting the Elephant

They are photos taken by an unknown photographer of a circus in the early 1930s. Thanks to the Tyne & Wear Museum. You can see the rest of these photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/sets/72157627692102509/ Source and copyright: No known copyright restrictions