Portraits of Thieves and Pickpockets, Thomas F. Byrnes, 1886

Portraits of Thieves and Pickpockets, Thomas F. Byrnes, 1886

printing, h 289mm × w 208mm × t 43mm More details

Soon after its introduction photography was deployed to identify individuals. Thomas Byrnes ran the New York Police detective department between 1889 and 1895, and published this book, which he dubbed a ‘rogues’ gallery’, in 1886. It contained over 200 portraits of criminals and was meant to help constables and detectives recognize them.