Lady Criminals

if you're like me, you love looking at old vintage snapshots of everyday ladies in all their sartorial glory.  but what's better than looking at vintage photographs of everyday ladies?  looking at vintage mugshots of everyday ladies. knowing how much i love prison stuff and history, damien just sent me a link to these photos taken from Australia's Justice and Police Museum.   they've just  released over 2,500 photographs of female criminals from the 1920s. if i was in australia this is something i would totally check out.  in the meantime watching episodes of prison wives will have to do.

"Dorothy Mort, criminal record number 773LB, 16 October 1929. Mrs Dorothy Mort was having an affair with dashing young doctor Claude Tozer. On 21 December 1920 Tozer visited Mort's home intending to break off the relationship. Mort shot him dead and then attempted to commit suicide. She was released from gaol shortly after this photograph was taken and disappeared from the public eye. "

"Annie Gunderson, criminal record number 551LB, 20 September 1922. Charged with stealing a fur coat. Teenager Annie Gunderson, 19, was charged with stealing a fur coat from a Sydney department store called Winn's Limited, in 1922. Police records do not indicate whether the fur she is wearing is the stolen item." 

"Alice Adeline Cooke, criminal record number 565LB, 30 December 1922. Convicted of bigamy and theft. By the age of 24 Alice Cooke had amassed an impressive number of aliases and at least two husbands. Described by police as 'rather good looking', Cooke was a habitual thief and a convicted bigamist. Aged 24"

"Emily Gertrude Hemsworth, criminal record number 657LB, 14 May 1925. Emily Hemsworth killed her three-week-old son but could not remember any details of the murder. She was found not guilty due to insanity. Hemsworth was to be detained in custody until judged fit to return to society - it is unknown if she was ever released. Aged 24"