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Reason Glasgow’s hardest Victorian gangsters posed with arms on their chest

Unearthed mugshots of a few of Glasgow’s hardest Victorian gangsters have proven all of them making the identical uncommon gesture with their arms.

The Peaky Blinders fashion pictures, captured all through the 1900’s, characteristic younger burglars, knife-carrying heavies, and knowledgeable crooks – all posing with their arms on their chests.

The cause behind the bizarre pose was truly to assist the police. Each of the criminals had their very own distinctive marks, making them straightforward to identify, with some having noticeable scars or lacking fingers.

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Some different pictures confirmed the gangsters standing subsequent to a mirror. This was as a result of digital camera movie was expensive and it meant police may seize their facet profiles too in a single shot.



Some of the criminals had scars or missing fingers
Some of the criminals had scars or lacking fingers

These pictures come from the Criminal Photographs Register 1903-1914, saved at Glasgow’s Mitchell Library. Historian Dr Andrew Davies mentioned: “There was a big problem with unemployment in Glasgow.

“In locations like Calton and Bridgeton, hundreds of younger males had been left with no job, no cash and plenty of spare time. This led to them hanging about on corners, getting drunk, stealing and resorting to violence.



James Brown, 16, and Edward, also known as Thomas Brown, 15 were baby-faced criminals
James Brown, 16, and Edward, also referred to as Thomas Brown, 15 had been baby-faced criminals

“There was nothing else for them to do. I think the gang culture was worse in Glasgow in this era due to overcrowding in the tenements.

“In cities like Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, they lived in Coronation Street-type terraces so, once they congregated on the finish of the highway, there wasn’t that a lot of them. When gangs acquired collectively in Glasgow to guard their areas, there have been dozens of them.”



The Peaky Blinder style pics come from the Criminal Photographs Register at Glasgow's Mitchell Library
The Peaky Blinder fashion pics come from the Criminal Photographs Register at Glasgow’s Mitchell Library

Some of the mugshots included teenage tear away brothers, James Brown, 16, and Edward, also referred to as Thomas Brown, 15. The baby-faced baddies had been locked up for 4 days on March 7, 1905, for theft by burglary. Both youngsters had been described as “growing” with James having a reduce on the left facet of his head and Thomas having a mark on the again of his head and a cross tattoo on his proper forearm.

One of the mirrored pictures confirmed George Ewart, a 32-year-old sailmaker from Wales. He was put behind bars for 4 months on November 3, 1903, for theft. He was described as being 5ft 7in tall with a good complexion, gray eyes and brown hair.

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