State Archives and Records NSW have opened a new exhibition, ‘Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930‘, at their Western Sydney Records Centre in Kingswood. The exhibition explores the stories of men, women and children who were incarcerated in NSW gaols from 1870 to 1930 through photographic portraits and descriptions of prisoners sourced from their collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books.
In 1871 photographic portraiture was introduced by the NSW Government to record the identity of those who were incarcerated in the State’s gaols. By 1930 more than 46,000 portraits had been produced. These historic records have been digitised, and interpreted through research within and beyond the archives to illuminate events and contexts that led ordinary people to commit crimes.
The State Archives and Records NSW have put together a great selection of those stories on YouTube and have also published an e-catalogue.
When: The exhibition will run from 8 September 2017 to 28 April 2018 and tour across NSW
Open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Western Sydney Records Centre
161 O’Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Cost: Free
More info