A page from a prison record ledger, 1873. The page contains a portrait and information about a convicted criminal, Ann Graham. Graham, a thirty-seven year old widow whose occupation is listed as housekeeper, was arrested in Newcastle in September 1873 and sentenced to seven days hard labour for stealing a shawl.

A page from a prison record ledger, 1873.

The page contains a portrait and information about a convicted criminal, Ann Graham. Graham, a thirty-seven year old widow whose occupation is listed as housekeeper, was arrested in Newcastle in September 1873 and sentenced to seven days hard labour for stealing a shawl.

The use of photography to record known criminals - the 'mug shot'- had been suggested as early as the 1840s. In 1871, the Prevention of Crime Act made it a legal requirement that all persons arrested for a crime must have their photographs taken.