J.E. Mayall
1869
Use of carte-de-visites to support police investigations

Book page
Google Books
Published in "Subtle brains and lissom fingers: Being some of the chisel-marks of our Industrial and Scientific Progress. And Other Papers" by Andrew Wynter, (Third edition, London: Robert Hardwicke, 1869) p.310-311
 
The universality of the carte-de-visite portrait has had the effect of making the public thoroughly acquainted with all its remarkable men. We know their personality long before we see them. Even the cartes de visite of comparatively unknown persons so completely picture their appearance, that when we meet the originals we seem to have some acquaintance with them. "I know that face, somehow," is the instinctive cogitation, and then we recall the portrait we have a day or two past seen in the windows. As we all know, the value of the photographic portrait has long been understood by the police, and known thieves have the honour of a picture-gallery of their own in Scotland Yard, to which we shall refer in some future paper; but the photograph is also useful for rogues as yet uncaptured and uncondemned. Thus, when Redpath absconded, it was immediately suspected that a negative of him must be lodged at some of our photographers. The inquiry was made, and one of them was found in Mr. Mayall's possession. An order was given for a supply to the detective force, and through its instrumentality the delinquent, though much disguised, was arrested on board a steamer sailing from some port in the North of Europe.
 
[The article "Cartes de Visite" was also published in "Once a Week", Volume 6, Jan 25, 1862, p.134-137 and in "The Living Age", Volume 72, 1862, p.676]
 
LL/34451