A collection of mugshots from Victorian-era criminals, including a thief jailed for nine months for stealing a library book, is set to go on display in Aberdeen. The photographs, taken inside HM General Prison in Perth during the 1870s and 1880s, capture a rogues' gallery of fraudsters and petty crooks.
The exhibition, titled Criminal Portraits, will be held at Aberdeen Central Library and the Lemon Tree venue later this month. Among the featured criminals is a man convicted of stealing a pigeon, highlighting the unusual nature of some offences from the period.
The images were originally taken for police records before the prisoners' release. Organisers hope the display will offer a glimpse into the lives of those who fell foul of the law in Victorian Scotland.
