History Of Police Mug Shots

Mugshots have been used throughout history and have photographed criminals, public and even celebrities as well as famous figures throughout. Many mugshots have been released into the public domain so the public can keep a look out for any strange activity and to help them find any criminals that may go missing from prisons and alike.



Mugshots used to be used for Wild west wanted posters, these posters would show the accused, their name, crime, date of the crime committed,  and usually a reward for either the accused arrested a live or brought in dead. Some mugshots of famous celebrities have been put into newspapers through the press to show the public that it's not just everyday people that commit crimes. Some of the most famous mugshots are often History Figures, Celebrities and Murderers.

The mugshot invented by Allan Pinkerton has been used since the early 19th Century. Mugshots are always a side profile and a head on profile of the accused, when these images are shown in courts police must make sure there is nothing that makes one criminal stand out from another by taking all mugshots the same.

Police Mug Shot

A Mugshot or Booking Shot as there sometimes referred too are used by the police as a photographic portrait taken after someone is arrested by the police. The purpose of a Mugshot is to allow the authorities to have a photographic record of the person arrested for future references. It also enables investigators and victims to identify the arrested criminal. Most mug shots are two-part, with one side-view photo, and one front-view.

   

The Mugshot was invented by Allan Pinkerton a famous US detective,  he first used these photographs to put them on wild west wanted posters which would be distributed and put around places for the public to see and help find the criminal who was on the run. 

By 1870 he had the largest collection of Mugshots in the whole of the United States. Before computer technology was invented the accused had to hold a sign which had their details written on such as: name, date and other relevant information. All Mugshots taken in the United States can be accessed by anyone under the freedom of information act. 

Usual Suspects - Police Identity Parade

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 American neo-noir film written by  Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer. The film has a very iconic photograph on the front cover of the dvd/VHS, the photograph is taken from a clip in the film of a police identity parade. One of the best mystery films in America and has won several awards, the film had a lot of scenes in which police were involved as well as the identity parade scene in which the actors are all against a blank background marked with heights. The audience can see through the two way mirror the police are looking through. 

Princess Diana Line Up.

The image from Usual Suspects. The image has become iconic, alot of images like this have being used in cinema

especially to show police scenes.

 

Popular culture has used police identity parades to make fun of certain people or subjects. I found a few and have decided to include them as i feel these images are all part of how police identity parades can be made and even though some of them are just mean for fun a lot of them are drawn or shot like real identity parades would be.  

  

Usual Suspects Lineup

The usual suspects film has a police line up in which i found it very useful to see how the line up was done and how the parade was put together. There are defiantly no shadows on the subjects in the video and all suspects faces are clearly visible and crisp. I like the fact they used all different height actors in the piece and they all look slightly different even though in an identity parade they're meant to use similar looking people.

The piece of video footage also shows the police looking through a two way mirror which is how they would of used to of done police identity parades before changing it all to do it digitally. Making it digital meant it was more widely available for other police forces across the country and that they could share images and information.

Controlled by the environment mindmap

Viper System - Video Identification Parade Electrionic Recording

The Viper System was invented by the police and is a (Video identification parade electronic recording) it has being used for the past 30 years. The West Yorkshire police own and manage the Viper system which all UK police use to produce video identification (ID parades). Over thirty police forces in the UK rely on the Viper system to produce ID parades for them. This system has become very successful and has even routinely being presented in courts for many years. 

Viper System Image

A victim may be asked to view a short DVD of the Identity parade in which the 3 minute clip contains videos of each head shot of whom the accused could turn out to be. Each person shown on the video will be in front of a blank either gray or white background and will turn their head either left or right but all will be the same so as not to make anyone stand out for any peculiar reason. 

Another example of what Viper looks like.

Occasionally teams will travel around the UK taking with them a mobile unit in which they take mobile recordings of volunteers performing a simple head turn. A one-off cash payment is received by every volunteer upon successful completion of the recording. The video recordings are then stored on the database along with any other vital information in which the police may need in case in the future a person decides to commit any criminal activity.

Some of the benefits to using Viper are:

• Applies to national standards for an ID parade.
• Extensive database of volunteers/actors/public with a range of appearance.
• Simple and fast process.
• Accused does not come into contact with the witness.
• Large database of appearances for ID parades.

50,000 ID parades are produced each year for 32 police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Viper means there are increased chances for the police forces to conduct a video ID parade. The Viper system ensures that there are enough volunteers to appear alongside a suspect and that material being used complies with all national standards.

Police Identity Parade

For my image of the police identity parade i will get a minimum of four subjects, i would ideally like to use a white background as most are taken against a blank background to make the subjects pop and make a lot easier and clearer to see in the photograph. Police identity parades are often used to take photographs of similar looking people who have committed a crime and whom the victim of said crimes usually identify to the police through a two way mirror in another room the identity parade criminals or potential criminals are made to stand in front of a wall which has heights marked down the left and right hand sides of the wall.

 

Sometimes criminals will be asked to stand in height order but that isn't often the case as generally all criminals are different heights and so to tell what particular height they are they all stand against the board. The victim is behind the two way mirror in another room, able to see the criminals and will often point out who committed the crime to the police, so they aren't seen by the criminals.

Sometimes identity parades will just have who the police know is the suspect but need to make sure by getting the victim to identify them. So they will hire actors or get volunteers of a similar build, height and a like to stand in the parade with the suspect. A photograph of a police identity parade is called a "Photo Lineup" 

 

Often though in some cases the identity parade has photographs taken of it so if the victim is too upset to see the criminals at such close quarters they can identify the said criminal where ever the police see fit. These parades also can be saved onto a computer or in a file for police to later look back on and look through if they didn't catch the criminal in the first place. If the victim or witness successfully identifies the suspect from among the fillers (Actors or volunteers), the identification is considered valid

Instant Photographs - Including passport photos

Instant photographs have always been interesting. Quick snap shots into peoples lives, a moment that might not of being captured, but thanks to instant photography people can get photos when they want and take images that they want to keep forever.

 

Polaroid cameras when released became an instant hit. Anyone could take a photo and have a copy of that image in less than a minute, they might not all of being high quality resolution images, infact a lot of photographs came out blurry, over exposed or under exposed but the point was instant photography had been made.Since then polaroid over the decades took a huge step forward. Instant throw away disposable cameras were made and soon photographs were widely avaliable to anyone who had a camera. As well as this photo booths were thriving although it did take a turn for the better when colour images were finally being produced in them instead of just B&W images. 

Instant photographs have become so popular now with modern culture as digital has made it a lot easier to see what you've taken before you print it. One hour photo printing and even instant images as well as print in less than 24 hours have all taken over for the better and made photography an easier pass time for the modern generation.

Passport photographs are now more easily taken. It can take only a minute before someone can have four identical images of themselves taken ready to be used on any number of government identification forms they may want for ID themselves. 

 

Photobooths

A photo booth is a vending machine/kiosk that has an automated, coin operated camera and film processor inside the booth.The majority of modern day photo booths are now operated digitally, traditionally the booth has a seat inside that can fit up to two people. Once payment has being made by whomever may be using it a series of photographs will be taken by the booth. Before each photograph is taken there will be a signal given, sometimes this can be a light turning on or a buzzing sound.
Photo booths then print the photographs out in strips these then come out of the outside slot of the booth and can be taken away once printed. The printing of the photographs usually takes up to about a minute.

 

Both B&W and colour photo booths are still in use in the United States Of America although throughout Europe practically all B&W photo booths have been wiped out by the invention of Colour photo booths.
Photobooths have become a popular way to take photographs throughout the decade because of there ability to produce good quality images, fast.Over the decades it has become popular for couples on dates to go into photo booths to have their photograph taken together.

Examples of passport images

All passport photographs should be taken in front of either a blank Grey background or a blank white background with no glare on the image as well as being free from marks, creases and tears of any kind. 

Some passport photographs are given leeway for instance young children and babies have slight leeway as it can be hard to get children especially babies to stay still or even if traveling abroad very young to support their own head.

Passport photographs should have the subjects head directly in the center of the image and shouldn't show any real facial expression. The above photograph although taken correctly would not of been allowed because of the subjects eyebrows being raised and the fact the subject is smiling.

How to take a passport photo video

       

I found this video very useful in finding out how people at home instead of in photo booths can get a clear image for a passport. I now know that someones face shouldn't be covered by hair, which i didn't realize before watching this video, so i now know that if i need a passport photo taken i should pull back my fringe to prevent it from making the image unlike how the government want your ID to look.

My Passport Photo

When i take my passport photograph i will have to be careful to abide by all the strict guidelines that have being set out and that regulate how a passport photograph can be taken.

Passport Photograph Do's:

• Show a neutral expression .
• Sit alone in the photograph.
• Make sure the image is in color.
• All copies of the photograph should be identical .
• Taken within the last month of you .
• be 45 millimeters high x 35 millimeters wide - this is the standard size when you have a passport photo taken in a photo booth or studio.
• Be sharp, clear and in focus.
•  Eyes open and clearly visible.
• Facing straight into the camera.
• Taken against a plain white background.
• Be printed on plain white photographic paper.
• Be printed professionally.
• You should make sure nothing covers the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Be a close-up of your head and shoulders.
• Not have any writing on the front or back - except when one of the photos needs to be certified

Passsport photograph Dont's:

• No grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows.
• Don't be with anyone else in the photograph.
• Don't put the photograph in Black and white.
• Don't use an old passport photograph of yourself .
• Mustn't be bigger than be 45 millimeters high x 35 millimeters wide.
• Not blurry or have anything covering your face or eyes.  
• No sunglasses, glasses etc. 
• No red eye.
• Don't face sideways 
• Image must not be creased, torn or marked in any way.
• No shadows
•  Show full head nothing covering it

Passport Photo

One of the earliest known reference of a passport was in the Persian empire in about 450 BC, it is said that, an official serving the King in Persia, asked  to travel to Judea, and the king granted leave and gave him a letter requesting safe travel for him as he went through their country.

However King Henry V of England is credited mainly helping with the popularity of the passport. Giving his subjects written proof on paper to take with them to foreign countries to prove who they were and to keep them safe.

Passports can come in all different colors and are often written in the countries language a person is from.

Passport photos are now used not just for passports but for a lot of other government issue Identification cards as well as driving licenses across the world. The main points for a passport are to tell the country your traveling too which country your from, what nationality you are, your age, gender and birth date as well as Photographic ID given to you by your own countries government which says you are who the identification says you are.

An example of the driving license identification.

Another example of Identification, a passport.
 

 Passports are commonly used in every country to be able to travel abroad from one country to another freely. Identification has become very important in modern day societies as without ID people can become vulnerable to such things as fraud, theft, their identities being stolen and such.

George Orwell's 1984 - Big Brother

A Novel written by the great George Orwell. Ahead of it's time this political piece of fiction made one of the truest statements about the future. George Orwell wrote 1984 about how a world of perpetual war and government surveillance and mind control of the masses that one day everywhere could become a controlled environment in which the rebels who stood out against the establishment would be tortured and made to either love the establishment or wither and die but not before they completely obeyed. 

In a world where surveillance of the masses is starting to become true, Big Brother is watching us all and although many would like to believe otherwise people are being controlled by the media and the government, not in as much the way 1984's story tells but the media does have some control over the public.

Having read George Orwell's 1984 myself i feel that a lot of what is written is becoming true, although i do feel that we are along way off torturing and murder for our establishments power. 

Big Brother at the top (Establishment) , The Party in middle (Government Officials and a like), the Proles (People not worth controlling as they'll do whatever their told to do) at bottom, in 1984.

However now George Orwell's 1984 has been interpreted by the modern day world and has been made into a 10 year long television programme appropriately called Big Brother.  

Big brother started in 2000 and ran until 2010. The television show was popular throughout the public in the United Kingdom as well as around the world. It become iconic in making memebers of the public "Celebrities" when they'd won the tv show by giving them publicity deals and a like. 

The television show become notable for controlling all aspects of the game shows contestants life whilst they were in the show they were taken away from all their family and friends and place in an artificial house with ten other contestants they then had to complete tasks for a food budget and tokens which could be exchanged for treats such as hairdryers and hot water.

Contestants had to give their phones and electrical outside equipment to the show as well as any books or other contraband the show deemed they wouldn't need in the house as they were a luxury.

How I Will Achieve My CCTV Image

I will achieve my CCTV image by:

• Taking the photograph on my mobile phone, the images are usually grainy and i feel the effect of it being taken by my phone will give it a more authentic look and feel to the image.
• I will make sure the subject i take a CCTV photo of is going about doing something normal and everyday, or something incredibly criminal that would alert the authorities attention.
• My image will be out in a public place because that is generally were there are the most CCTV cameras that or on public transport or even a workplace. 
• I will take a few CCTV images and may use some photo shop to enhance the grainy feel to the image but if not i will keep the image however my phone has taken it.

Crime Watch (Or Crime Watch UK)

 

Crime Watch has being running in the United Kingdom since 7th June 1984 to the present day, the programme reconstructs crimes hoping to get information from viewers who may have been near the incident at the time it happened. The television programme is usually broadcast once a month generally on the channel BBC One.

Crime Watch is one of the largest live factual television programmes run on television, The format usually involves three to four main constructions then an E-Fit picture, CCTV and other photographic evidence, as well as four to five mugshots of Britains most wanted criminals each episode. 

At the end of the programme photographs of criminals are shown to the audience in hope they will contact the show if they know the person in the image.

Crime Watch E-fit

Crime Watch CCTV Footage On A Store Being Robbed

CCTV Crime Footage

James Bulger being abducted by Thompson (above Bulger) and Venables
(holding Bulger's hand) in an image recorded on shopping centre CCTV.

Criminal footage can be caught on CCTV which can really help the police identify the criminal in situations that often people in crowded places wouldn’t see the criminal.
James Bulger was one such case in which police used CCTV images to show the victim being taken by the criminal, the CCTV footage helped police identify the criminal and show the public what the victim and criminal looked like.This helped the police spread the image around through mass media and helped get anyone who might have information on the case to be able to phone in and help with the police inquiry.

Another Famous CCTV footage image are the final moments captured before Princess Diana died in a car accident. The images were shown on the news of Diana in the hotel she’d being staying in leaving the hotel and in the hotel lift. These images were shown as the last images of her alive.
Images like these are often released when someone famous dies to show the last moments of someone’s life may seem extreme but police used this footage to help their investigation to find out who had killed the Princess in the car accident.

CCTV - Facts, History & More!

CCTV - Also known as "Closed Circuit Television" 

• The first set of Closed circuit television cameras were installed in Germany 1942. Walter Bruch a noted engineer was the person who designed and installed them.

• In September of 1968 in Olean, New York the first city in the United States installed CCTV along main streets in an effort to fight crime and theft.

• Use of CCTV is common now in banks as well as stores to try and deter theft by recording criminal activity.

• An estimate taken by the British government stated there are approximately one camera for every fourteen people in the country.

•  Cameras have been installed now on public transport to deter crime, however in recent times CCTV has become targeted and attacked by theieves.

• Some CCTV have been hacked by internet hackers and guriella artists who use cross video feeds, used video footage and upload their own videos, this is called "video sniffing". 

1 Camera to every 14 People.

Week 1, Controlled by the enviroment

So I've decided to start this blog to upload all my research onto.
I was planning on using a sketch pad for week one, but to no avail as my computer downstairs wouldn't open any of the documents i wanted to print out.
Week one we were asked to take photorgaphs in the style of -

• CCTV
• Police Identity Parade
• Passport Photo
• Police Mug Shot

I unfortunatly didnt get paired with anyone in my first week as there weren't enough people in the group to go around so after emailing several of the tutors found that for my first week i could do the first assigment alone until i could find a partner to work with for the other weeks.


WHAT I THINK A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT IS:

I feel a controlled environment based in photography is a photograph taken out of the control of the subject, all the images we've been set above are images that have to be taken by strict guidelines by an establishment. Either the photograph is taken by the authorities or there are strict guidelines given to the public in which their photograph should be taken.  
I found some interesting facts and information out about all the subjects we've being set to take photographs of and I've found that the Police Identity Parade and Police Mug Shot as well as CCTV images are taken by an establishment against the persons wishes and are often unwanted photographs that are kept archived for many years. However Passport Photographs are used by the public and although have to be taken to strict guidelines are usually wanted photographs to be used on ID cards, Driving Licenses, Passports and other such cards and passes that can identify a person.