The Roaring Twenties; the age of jazz clubs, sharp suits, flappers, and a newfound flair in city streets. Style became a declaration of identity as much as class. Yet some of the most striking portraits of the era weren’t taken in fashion houses or chic magazines, but inside police stations.
Mugshots of the 1920s proof that they often used to look like editorial spreads: crisp tailoring, bold accessories, and a cinematic aspect that showed roughness and vulnerability. The subjects were put against stark backdrops with natural lighting giving them an accidental elegance, while their backstories remained far from classy.
One thing’s for sure: whatever their crimes, their moment in front of the camera was nothing if not stylish.
1
F. Murray (1929)
Streetwear before streetwear existed.
2
Sid Grant (1921)
Less crook, more fashion boy.
3
H. Price (1923)
It’s giving Gatsby gone rogue
4
J. Messenger (1922)
From back alley to catwalk in one glare.
5
E. Ashton (1929)
Not posing for the police camera but for the runway.
6
E. Falleni
A tailored suit as armor.
7
A. Lee (1929)
A bob and a fur coat? Arrested in style.
8
S. Skukerman (1924)
His crime? Out-dressing everyone else.
9
Walter Smith (1924)
The ‘bad boy’ look in its rawest form.
10
P. Neill (1929)
More flapper than felon.
11
M. Devine (1925)
A look that fashion houses would kill for.
12
W. Cahill (1923)
Crime has never looked so casual
13
H. Ellis
Prison but make it Vogue cover.
14
Sidney Kelly (1924)
A three-piece suit has rarely looked this dangerous.
15
E. Singleton (1927)
An accidental avant-garde look.
16
Patrick Riley (1924)
Rough charm wrapped in wool.
17
Kong Lee (1922)
Bare feet, the ultimate statement in jail chic.
18
W. Keogh (1922)
From ballroom to backroom
19
William Stanley Moore (1925)
The posture of someone who knows rules are meant to be broken.
20
Giuseppe Fiori (1924)
A gangster’s catwalk if ever there was one.
21
D. Poole (1924)
Outlaw in a cloaklike dress.
22
A. Cooke (1922)
Wearing guilt like a jacket.
