Volume 34, Number 8
May 2013
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Mugging for the Camera: Mug Shot Book, 1897-1911 Inside this issue: Cover story: May program, Mugging for the Camera The other side of the law, page 3 Archives A to Z, page 3 Identifying criminals, page 4 Prohibition in Grand Rapids, Page 5 Happening in history, page 6 Photo Sleuth, page 7
Gina Bivins, President, Grand Rapids Historical Society Thursday, May 9, 2013 at the Women’s City Club Cocktails at 6:00 pm, dinner at 6:45 pm Tickets are $30, program following the dinner is free
I became fascinated with the mug shot book in the early 1980s when I volunteered for the Grand Rapids Public Museum open house, held once a year at the building on Jefferson Street. The recreated shops in the 1850s Gaslight Village were open to the public only at this special time. The Police Station was my assignment one year. The mug shot book stood on a desk just inside the door, open. Six criminals of the past stared out all day as visitors took a peek into the small room housing a cell with bunk beds, a desk and not much else, as I recall. I am sure there were pictures on the wall, a uniform coat, perhaps a billy club and a set of handcuffs. But for me, the focal point was the book. There was information about each person, and I read every word.
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Years later I worked in collections during the construction of the new museum building on Pearl Street. At some point I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the book. Wearing the appropriate gloves, I carefully turned pages and read about the people within. The most common crime seemed to be larceny. Sometimes the person was charged with both larceny and burglary. There were murderers and assault with the intent to murder. There were counterfeiters and forgers, embezzlers and grand larceny. In fact, I found more than 29 different offenses listed. Continued on page 2...
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