Crooks Like Us [Paperback]

Peter Doyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2009

Riveting stories and extraordinary images from Sydney's mysterious and chilling underworld in the early 20th century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Historic Houses Trust Of New South Wales (December 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1876991348
• ISBN-13: 978-1876991340
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 1.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,691,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind December 14, 2009

By concerned reader

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Art is often best when it is unintended. A masterfully simple Biedermeier desk, the futuristic Parker 51 fountain pen, Bauhaus woven cloth, Japanese wabi sabi objects, Dieter Rams' appliances for BRAUN, or the Gill Sans type font, things like these were expressly conceived to be used every day and not live out their years in a museum. But they were so exceptional or singular that over time they rode the elevator up to art's top floor and stayed there. So too with photography. Whether it be Weegee or Vivian Mayer's black and white pictures of 1940's NY, Lartigue and Doisneau's day to day in Paris, LIFE magazine's coverage of the Great Depression, or even the best accidental Lomography work, what most people first thought were merely snapshots grew wings over the years and now live among the angels of art. One of my favorite books of 2009 is called CROOKS LIKE US by Peter Doyle. Doyle is an Australian who went through the forensic photography archive of the Justice and Police Museum in Sydney. His book is essentially a collection of 1920's mugshots. Black and white look-the-camera-right-in-the-eye photos of criminals who were caught and booked. Pickpockets, whores, grifters, murderers, small time losers, dope fiends, counterfeiters... all were arrested and momentarily memorialized with one straight on and one profile picture before going to trial. The astonishing thing about the compilation is both the unintentional beauty and composition of many of these photos. A friend who saw the book said most of the subjects look like they're either Thom Browne models or people you'd see in a GQ or VOGUE fashion spread. The men wear fedora hats tipped at jaunty angles, formal white shirts and ties, sharp looking tweed.... Although some are seriously scary looking hombres, they've almost all got style and flair like you can't believe. If you saw one of these guys walking down the street today you'd think "that is one cool dude." The women stare straight and fearlessly into the camera. You can almost hear them sneering "You gotta problem, pal? What are you gawking at?" They emanate strength, smartass, sexuality, street smarts, and in some, great mystery. Picture after dramatic picture of liars, cheats, steal from blind nuns, stab their mother, sell their children-- creeps, bottom feeders, perverts and monsters are transformed by simple police mugshots into gorgeous, haunting, timeless portraits. Their eyes tell a thousand stories. Hands in pockets, posture proud and erect, hair slicked carefully back, their expressions are defiant, amused. You can't beat them--in the end, they know they'll win. Almost a hundred years later you're certain these crooks knew things you wish you could learn. Characters whose lives you'd give a lot to know more about beyond that single, captivating glimpse. At some point the jarring realization hits you that every single person in the book is probably dead now. But that is one of the wonders of great art--it can resurrect anything and make it so alive again that for a while you can almost hear it breathe. Read more ›

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Beautiful March 16, 2011

By AlonzosMom

Format:Paperback

The pictures are amazing and tastefully done. It's interesting that they're mugshots - they seem to be proud portraits.

0 of 18 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Modern Crooks March 13, 2011

By David A. Mccrae

Format:Paperback

For modern crooks, look through the Appendix of 'It Takes a Pillage.'. Real crooks don't look anything like these pictures.