"City of Shadows" - Sydney Police Photography

[Zarniwoop]

Came across a great book of police photography from the 20's. The photos are very reminiscent of Weegee

The book is called "City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948".

I also found an essay about the photos here.

 

[Story]

*That* is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mid-fogey]

It's pretty...

...bad that golden era criminals looked better than modern day bankers. Oh, wait a minute...

 

[avedwards]

I never knew criminals could have that much class and style.

 

[dr greg]

crimewriters

I know Pete, being one of the brotherhood of Aussie crimewriters
http://www.crimedownunder.com/peterdoyle.html,
he's also a musician of some repute.

 

[Mojito]

It is a wonderful book - remarkable how powerful some of what was intended to be purely documentative photography is. Apparently Karl Lagerfeld drew inspiration from City of Shadows: http://www.smh.com.au/news/fashion/...-rogues-gallery/2007/02/27/1172338624380.html

 

[Lamplight]

Some of these are practically art.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

I wonder what kind of camera they used to take these? I would love to have a vintage camera that could take pictures like that...

 

[Selvaggio]

This thread is about his new book, which has even more fantastic photos.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=46218

 

[Shangas]

I never knew criminals could have that much class and style.

I read that it was Al Capone (aided by Johnny Torrio) who first developed "gangster fashion" in the 1920s and 30s. By that, it was meant that criminals should dress fashionably, stylishly, tastefully, to make them look like ordinary citizens, like businessmen, bankers, office-workers...not like common thugs and all that stuff. Capone himself had a wardrobe that any person here would be jealous of: Silk ties, silk handkerchieves...even silk underwear, I believe. Sharp suits, rings, fedora hats, diamond-studded watch-chains...the whole sha-bang.

 

[martinsantos]

Looks to me that they were using 9x12cm glass plates or 6x9 film.

9x12 is almost impossible today, but the 6x9 is easy. Uses a film called 120 (the same used to Rolleiflex). Get any one with a Tessar (from Zeiss) and go ahead. These 6x9 usually are spring type. Closed looks like a wallet, but it opens to get the proper distance.

I would suggest too to get the "new" Adox 25 ASA, recently back to market. It has a low sensibility to red, near to the orthochromatic of those films em 20s. Just DO NOT shot with artificial light! You won't get much.

Good luck!

Martin

I wonder what kind of camera they used to take these? I would love to have a vintage camera that could take pictures like that...