15 Mugshots From the 1800s

From grifters and outlaws to thieves and even children, mugshots from the 1800s offer a haunting (and sometimes hilarious) glimpse at the lives of those who crossed paths with the law. These vintage photographs captured everyone from hardened criminals to small-time pickpockets who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
But behind each image lies a deeper story: A scam that got out of hand, a botched escape, or just being down on one’s luck in a world that didn’t seem to have much sympathy. Here are 15 mugshots from the 1800s, plus the reasons why each person found themselves behind bars.
1. Bertha Liebbeke

Known as “Fainting Bertha,” Liebbeke would pretend to faint into the arms of well-dressed men and pick their pockets. Genius!
2. Ellen Woodman

In the 1870s, the 11-year-old girl was sentenced to seven days of hard labor after being convicted of stealing iron in England.
3. Goldie Williams

Look at that expression! Williams was arrested for vagrancy on January 20, 1898.
4. George H. Ray

This mugshot shows Ray grinning after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for manslaughter in the late 1800s.
5. Jane Farrell

Did the punishment fit the crime? This 12-year-old girl was sentenced to 10 days of hard labor for stealing two boots in the 1870s.
6. Jim Ling

Ling was arrested on June 3, 1898, for running an opium joint. On the back of his mugshot, his occupation was listed as “thief.”
7. Henry Leonard Stephenson

This brazen 12-year-old was convicted of breaking into people’s homes in 1873. He was sentenced to two months in prison.
8. James Collins

On May 12, 1897, 23-year-old tailor James Collins was arrested for burglary. According to his record, Collins managed to escape from police custody before being arrested again.
9. Charles Martin

Martin, also known as “Charles Davis,” was arrested in Nebraska for safe blowing and burglary.
10. Stephen Monaghan

Monaghan, aged 14, was convicted of stealing money on July 25, 1873. He was sentenced to 10 days of hard labor and three years in the Market Weighton Reformatory in England. Harsh!
11. Nannie Hutchinson

Talk about a rough day at work. Hutchinson was arrested in the late 1800s after being charged with the murder of her employer.
12. Bert Martin

Martin was convicted for stealing a horse in Nebraska’s Keya Paha County. During his time in jail, Martin worked at the broom factory.
13. Thomas ‘Prof’ Whitney

The OG grifter: Whitney was convicted of “obtaining money under false pretenses” after advertising his services as a clairvoyant, palmist, and astrologer in local newspapers.
14. Herbert Cockran

Cockran, a tailor from Fairmont, Nebraska, was arrested on November 24, 1899, on charges of burglary.
15. James Whitewater

After killing two men, Whitewater was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He reportedly embraced Christianity while in jail and “rolled in the grass for joy” after being released.
Interested in more content like this?
We think you’ll enjoy reading 20 Haunting Images That Capture America’s Forgotten Prisons, along with 15 Photos That Capture the Mafia in the 1970s and 15 Photos That Reveal the Mafia’s Power in the ’60s.