Comments on: Upstairs, (falling) Downstairs

Upstairs, (falling) Downstairs

grumblebee — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:53:22 -0800

Edwardian Drunkards

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:57:21 -0800

First: these pictures are great. Second: "Edwardian Drunkards" just has a nice ring to it. Thanks for the post, g-bee.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:59:26 -0800

"She was a 38-year-old 'woodchopper and prostitute' " there's a joke here someplace...

By: Chinese Jet Pilot

Chinese Jet Pilot — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:59:54 -0800

How strange that the police noted each drunk's peculiarities, yet photographed almost everyone wearing their hats.

By: dunkadunc

dunkadunc — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:05:23 -0800

A lot of the guys look like townies from around where I live, but better-dressed. Also, isn't Tamar Edwards the only married woman on here? I do like her get-up.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:06:30 -0800

How strange that the police noted each drunk's peculiarities, yet photographed almost everyone wearing their hats. Asking them to remove their hats and expose their entire heads would be pretty salacious, don't you think?

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:08:37 -0800

Grandad! You may be arseholed but you've kept your titfer straight. Does the family proud.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:08:55 -0800

They don't want to expose their criminal brows and anarchist-leaning head bumps.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:12:09 -0800

Also, the peelers' over-reliance on this dubious new 'photography' technology can only lead to miscarriages of justice. In my day a billy club and a pathological hatred for the Irish was all that a bold upholder of the Law required, be God.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:25:54 -0800

These whores are getting me hot.

By: dilettante

dilettante — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:27:19 -0800

Was "bedstead polisher" a real job or some kind of euphemism? They use "prostitute" freely enough.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:27:31 -0800

Also: I'm pretty sure The Whelk lists his occupation as "tube drawer."

By: idiomatika

idiomatika — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:30:14 -0800

Something interesting in The Daily Fail. Wonders will never cease.

By: Horace Rumpole

Horace Rumpole — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:32:28 -0800

Are you related to any of these people? ... If so, then tell us your story This is every genealogists nightmare--finding out your great grandmother was a habitual drunkard and prostitute.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:33:54 -0800

Also: I'm pretty sure The Whelk lists his occupation as "tube drawer." Process Dirty-joke potential. Analysis:Overwhelmed. Forced Shut down.

By: cjorgensen

cjorgensen — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:45:16 -0800

Leonardo Decaprio.

By: frobozz

frobozz — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:46:41 -0800

The first thing I thought when looking at this was that all these people look a lot more normal to my 21st century eyes than the people in stiffly posed family portraits of early 1900s that I'm used to. Also, I would love to be able to see close-ups of tattoos of the time. What was the significance of having 'dots' tattooed on your arms, as several of the men had?

By: MrVisible

MrVisible — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:49:06 -0800

I'm currently running a World War I role-playing game, and this is the ultimate motherlode of NPCs. Thanks!

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:53:51 -0800

What was the significance of having 'dots' tattooed on your arms, as several of the men had? In reserved and understated Edwardian England, it meant you were Yakuza.

By: mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:53:53 -0800

Get a brain, Moran!

By: mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:54:54 -0800

"Leonardo Decaprio." I thought that on first glance too, then I figured "Nah, you're drunk".

By: darkstar

darkstar — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:57:10 -0800

MrVisible, I was just thinking this would be a wonderful resource for someone writing a period piece. Charwomen and boatmen and tube drawers complete with photos and descriptions of tattoos!

By: MrVisible

MrVisible — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:04:51 -0800

But if you're just writing them as characters, you won't get to do the voices. Just looking at these faces, I can tell how I'd do their dialog. And besides, who wouldn't want to menace the party as a slightly inebriated British Bob Hope?

By: ClanvidHorse

ClanvidHorse — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:07:20 -0800

I am shocked that there's something worthwhile on the Daily Mail website. Those are some interesting looking characters. Joseph Allsopp looks like he was a bit of a card. Tamar Edwards Profession or occupation- married. ha!

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:10:39 -0800

Lookit these fucking hipsters.

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:11:21 -0800

"She was a 38-year-old 'woodchopper and prostitute' " there's a joke here someplace... Either way, somebody's gettin' wood. I said good DAY, sir!

By: MrMustard

MrMustard — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:11:24 -0800

Brummies always have been, and always will be, awesome.

By: sciurus

sciurus — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:15:22 -0800

And nowadays we have Faces of Meth.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:18:13 -0800

Somewhat related I suppose, and something I was browsing earlier - Food Industry Mugshots.

By: sexyrobot

sexyrobot — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:18:30 -0800

great, another database of personal and private information leaked onto the internet...

By: sallybrown

sallybrown — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:19:35 -0800

Something interesting in The Daily Fail. Wonders will never cease I am shocked that there's something worthwhile on the Daily Mail website The Daily Fail consistently features stunningly lulz-worthy stuff, although this selection is my favorite since the photo spread from Aintree Ladies' Day.

By: Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:42:35 -0800

Shocking how old most of them look for their ages. I guess that's the result of decades of laborious work. And were jobs so specialized back then that one's sole profession would be to polish bed posts?

By: sexyrobot

sexyrobot — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:06:59 -0800

And were jobs so specialized back then that one's sole profession would be to polish bed posts? think about it, honey. think very very hard.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:20:00 -0800

Why do their rap sheets state their age instead of date of birth?

By: clockzero

clockzero — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:27:55 -0800

The profession names dovetail nicely with that recent FPP about lost industries.

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:28:10 -0800

This is every genealogists nightmare--finding out your great grandmother was a habitual drunkard and prostitute. Or it could be the best episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?"* ever. *And really, as I discovered last week when watching the Matthew Broderick episode, the bar is set pretty low. Watching celebrities reading and feigning interest over census records and muster rolls does not make for captivating television.

By: Phanx

Phanx — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:32:46 -0800

a slightly inebriated British Bob Hope Curiously enough, Bob Hope was born in Britain, just a month before that picture was taken.

By: sallybrown

sallybrown — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:37:52 -0800

...OR SO WE THOUGHT.

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:44:33 -0800

Jappaner, you don't see many want ads for those any more

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:50:04 -0800

This is every genealogists nightmare--finding out your great grandmother was a habitual drunkard and prostitute. That statement reminds me of this Mad TV skit.

By: digsrus

digsrus — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:50:37 -0800

Are you related to any of these people? ... If so, then tell us your story by contacting news@dailymail.co.uk They're kidding, right?

By: ovvl

ovvl — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:54:09 -0800

"I feel sorry for these poor people. Although you have to admit that Joseph Allsopp looked a bit shifty."

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:27:33 -0800

'Edwardian Drunkards' makes a great band name.

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:31:11 -0800

Or it could be the best episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?"* ever. I really like that program, as I do Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s PBS series 'Faces of America.'

By: ericb

ericb — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:34:34 -0800

Leonardo Decaprio. Yep...like his character depicted in 'Gangs of New York.'

By: dunkadunc

dunkadunc — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:28:18 -0800

Did anyone else notice - these people are tiny? Even a lot of the men are down around 5' 2".

By: verstegan

verstegan — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:43:06 -0800

I like the way that the Daily Mail can headline this article 'Binge Britain 1904: The rogues' gallery that shows war on booze is nothing new', while at the same time running scary articles on Binge Britain: An epidemic that is destroying lives to convince its readers that they are living in the middle of an unprecedented social meltdown.

By: Countess Elena

Countess Elena — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:43:28 -0800

Poor childhood nutrition, dunkadunc. That's why the clothing, furniture and armor in museums seem so small to us. I've read somewhere that, of all populations properly measured, the English of the 18th century were the shortest average people on record. I don't have a cite for this, though. As someone with experience in genealogy, I would love to find out that one of these were my ancestors. These career choices would be a step up from some of the Walker Evans photography I'm descended from. Plus, a single one of these cards is a gold mine of corroborating information for a genealogist. In conclusion I can't favorite this post enough. I could spend all day with these cards, even though I know I'm no kin. Alice Loxley's face is particularly haunting. She looks so full of potential, somehow, still so young. And James Doyle -- you know that's a face that struck terror in a wife and a houseful of young children somewhere.

By: Alexandra Kitty

Alexandra Kitty — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:33:45 -0800

When they say it goes on your Permanent Record, this is what they are talking about...

By: Philby

Philby — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:00:28 -0800

what on earth is a bedstead polisher?

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:03:19 -0800

One of the details I love about Deadwood is the great costumes-- the hats with holes, the fraying jackets, the tattered dresses. Outside of the homeless, you just don't see people today wearing their clothes with holes like the coat on Richard 'Dirty Dick' Flemming which is more absent than it is present. While I mourn the loss of style, the availability of cheap clothes and shoes has made a big difference to the lower classes.

By: potsmokinghippieoverlord

potsmokinghippieoverlord — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:07:04 -0800

my favorite since the photo spread from Aintree Ladies' Day. Ah! I always wondered what happened to the "From Ladette to Lady" crowd.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:35:15 -0800

Those Edwardians!—they do enjoy their m–dash and n–dashes, semi-colons, italics and bold-faced fonts, don't they? To say nothing of the egregious usage of tab-stops. Oh! the marvels of this new type-writer invention! Thank the Lord they lacked a <blink> key.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:46:06 -0800

Did anyone else notice - these people are tiny? Even a lot of the men are down around 5' 2" Not nearly as shocking as their ages. 38 years old? That's what I call a hard-luck life.

By: darkstar

darkstar — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:10:33 -0800

I can only imagine what kind of toll it must take on the body and soul to constantly inhale sooty air, work with harsh caustic cleansers, toil laboriously in a trade 12 or 14 hours every day and have to do without even the simplest of conveniences that we take for granted nowadays. I guess 38 must have felt like twice as old.

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:24:51 -0800

Yeah, don't forget that on average people died in their 50s back then, especially the working classes. So, proportionally, they look about right.

By: bwg

bwg — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:39:42 -0800

Andy Garcia Christopher Plummer

By: dirigibleman

dirigibleman — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:03:36 -0800

This dude claims to know what the professions were.

By: goofyfoot

goofyfoot — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:51:32 -0800

A book called Death scenes : a homicide detective's notebook, [ISBN 0922915296] includes mug shots, probably from people living in Los Angeles ca 1921 to 1950. It doesn't include specifics of the people, just what they were (maybe) booked for: bunco, hold up, ind. exp., lesbian, procuress, mental case, hit and run, embezzlement, badger game, theft, murder, sodomy and carnal abuse. Katherine Dunn wrote the text.

By: Alexandra Kitty

Alexandra Kitty — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:21:57 -0800

"She was a 38-year-old 'woodchopper and prostitute' " there's a joke here someplace... An intoxicated woman with an axe -- there is a horror movie in there someplace...

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:16:40 -0800

people in stiffly posed family portraits of early 1900s Victorian studio photographers used to put metal pincers behind the subjects head, on the neck out of sight of the lens, to keep the person still for a long exposure. It had the effect of making people look overly stiff and morgue-like, not to mention unhappy. But when you consider the problem of blurred photos, and the high cost incurred for each shot, it really did make sense.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:18:46 -0800

Perhaps in these crime photos, they could keep the people still long enough simply with threats of a sound beating, a leering billy-club just out of camera shot.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:26:20 -0800

the English of the 18th century were the shortest average people on record. No doubt. This is a famous picture of dead bodies from the Paris Commune uprising. Commentators at the time remarked they had the bodies of children and the heads of adults.

By: zvs

zvs — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:03:16 -0800

This is every genealogists nightmare--finding out your great grandmother was a habitual drunkard and prostitute. This is my favorite thing about genealogy. My ancestors were mostly pretty awful, in and out of jails and poorhouses, living in decrepit slums, condemned to insane asylums, fraudulently applying for war pensions, sued for alimony by wives they married in matrimonial ads, crushed by streetcars while drunk... Sure, it was unbelievably awful at the time, but thanks to its distance from the present I just call it "street cred."