An identity photograph of Hannah Buckham, taken by an unknown photographer in 1873. The photograph is taken from an album of prison record photographs. Buckham, aged forty-two, was arrested in Newcastle in December 1873 and sentenced to three months hard labour for theft.

An identity photograph of Hannah Buckham, taken by an unknown photographer in 1873.

The photograph is taken from an album of prison record photographs. Buckham, aged forty-two, was arrested in Newcastle in December 1873 and sentenced to three months hard labour for theft.

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.