African American Policing and Criminal Identification Mugshot Archive Philadelphia circa 1950s to 1960s

African American Incarceration

Photograph

Unidentified police photographers, mugshot photograph archive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1950s to 1960s, documenting law enforcement identification practices applied to African American men in an urban mid-twentieth-century context. The material documents criminal identification systems through standardized booking photography, revealing how individuals were processed, recorded, and categorized by police authorities, and providing primary-source evidence for the study of policing, racialized surveillance, and the administration of justice in postwar American cities.

Archive of eight silver gelatin photographs, each containing paired front and profile views of individual subjects, totaling sixteen images. Each photograph measures approximately 4.5 x 3.5 inches and presents one male subject, most appearing to be young adults, posed against neutral backdrops typical of booking procedures. Five images include identifying information such as names, physical descriptions, residential addresses, and alleged offenses, including charges of narcotics possession, burglary, and contempt of court. The subjects are primarily dressed in civilian clothing, with one individual wearing striped prison-issued garments. Facial expressions vary, with some men appearing composed while others display visible distress; one notably young subject shows a bruised eye and subdued expression. The photographs adhere to consistent compositional standards, emphasizing facial features and bodily orientation for official record keeping.

Eight photographs comprising sixteen mugshot images. Produced during decades marked by urban demographic shifts and evolving law enforcement practices, these photographs reflect the routine operation of police identification systems and their impact on African American communities. Mugshots of this period functioned as both administrative tools and instruments of surveillance, preserving visual records tied to legal processes and institutional control. Minor handling wear, prints clean and stable; overall very good condition. A focused and cohesive grouping illustrating mid-twentieth-century policing and identification practices affecting African American men.

Item #18594

Price: $480.00