Last Updated on October 8, 2025 by Matt Staff
Before digital databases and forensic science, the faces of crime in Victorian England were captured on glass plates and sepia film. These mugshots, taken in dim police stations across the 19th century, marked the dawn of modern policing.
Each of these mugshots from Victorian England reveals a world where class, poverty, and punishment collided, a haunting record of how justice was first documented through photography.
1. Bertha Liebbeke, 1878
Known as “Fainting Bertha”, she would pretend to faint into the arms of a well-dressed man. When he caught her, she would pick his pocket.
2. George H. Ray, 1890
Served 10 years for manslaughter in the late 1890s. Smiles in pictures from that period in history are rare because of the long exposure times.
3. Jim Ling, 1898
He was arrested on June 6, 1898, for running an opium joint. On the back of his mug shot, his occupation is listed as “thief”.
4. Nora Courier, 1901
She was arrested for stealing a horse back in 1901.
5. Minnie Bradley
She was arrested in Omaha on December 11, 1902, for larceny. She listed her occupation as a prostitute.
6. James Collins
James was arrested for burglary on May 12, 1897. According to the police record, Collins escaped and was rearrested.
7. Charles Martin
AKA Charles Davis. He was arrested for burglary.
8. Mrs. H.C. Adams
She was arrested in Omaha on April 12, 1900, for blackmail, although her occupation was a prostitute.
9. Herbert Cockran
This tailor from Nebraska was arrested for burglary.
10. George Leonard
He appears quite harmless with his boyish look and freckles. He was arrested for burglary in 1901.
11. Bert Martin
He was sentenced for stealing a horse in Keya Paha County. When he was imprisoned, he helped groom the horses.
12. Nannie Hutchinson
Arrested for the murder of her employer.
13. Ellen Woodman
She was forced to do 7 days of hard labor for stealing iron.
14. Henry Leonard Stephenson
Henry was convicted of breaking into houses and was sentenced to 2 months in prison in 1873.
15. Stephen Monaghan
He was arrested for stealing on July 25, 1873. Then sentenced to 14 days of hard labor.
16. Henry Miller
14-year-old Henry was arrested for theft of clothing.
17. Mary Catherine Docherty
She was convicted of stealing along with her friends, Mary Hinnigan, Ellen Woodman, and Rosanna.
18. John Reed
This young man was sentenced to 14 days of hard labor and 5 years of reformation for stealing money in 1873.
19. Martha Herbert
On February 23, 1871, she was sentenced to 42 days of hard labor at Oxford Castle prison for stealing half a shilling and six pence.
20. James Freeman
He was arrested for stealing bread for his friend in 1870 and was sentenced to 21 days of hard labor.
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These faces mark the beginning of a new kind of justice, where photography, telegraphy, and forensic chemistry began to replace superstition and guesswork. The Victorian mugshot was more than just an image; it was a symbol of accountability in a world learning to see crime through evidence rather than rumor. If you loved this content, check out 16 Vintage Photos of Bizarre Inventions, or 19 Absolutely Bizarre Secondhand Finds.
