[Ads-l] "mug shot" (1935)

[Peter Reitan]

If you search for mug and mugging between 1900 and 1930s, in conjunction w "Rogue's gallery," you find many examples of the verb "to mug" used to refer to the act of taking a rogue's photo.
________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 8:45:31 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: "mug shot" (1935)

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: "mug shot" (1935)
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Thanks for these great finds, Garson! I'm writing about the history of "mug
shot" for my Wall Street Journal column this week, and these examples help
fill out the picture.

--bgz

On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:46=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole@=
gmail.com>
wrote:

> Here is =E2=80=9Cmug shot=E2=80=9D with the pertinent sense in 1899, I th=
ink. Please
> double check the scan and metadate before using this citation.
>
> Date: March 01, 1899
> Newspaper: The Chicago Daily News
> Newspaper Location: Chicago, Illinois
> Article: War Rages With Urchins
> Quote Page 3, Column 2
> Database: GenealogyBank
>
> [Begin excerpt - double check because text is degraded and difficult to
> read]
> They are afraid of nothing except the "copper." And even when he gets
> through with them they mock him behind his back.
> "Hully gee! mister, are you going to put my mug shot in de paper?"
> said one of them to an artist who was sketching him. "Well, I'll be
> blowed. When does it come out?"
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:23=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Here is another interesting instance in 1873 showing the evolution of
> =E2=80=9Cmug=E2=80=9D.
> >
> > Newspaper: Chicago Daily Tribune
> > Newspaper: Location: Chicago, Illinois
> > Date: August 22, 1873
> > Article: "Stop Thief"
> > Quote Page 7, Column 2
> > https://www.newspapers.com/image/349288037/
> >
> > [Begin excerpt - check for typos]
> > His preliminary examination resulted in his being held for trial.
> > Yesterday morning he was taken, with three other prisoners, to the,
> > photograph, or, as it is sometimes called, the "mug," gallery, that
> > his prepossessing countenance might be forever preserved in the album
> > at Police Headquarters. The operator, having succeeded in securing his
> > negative, Keenan was given to Detective Lacky, with orders to take him
> > to jail.
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Garson
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:11=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole
> > <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Here is a citation in 1867 that I think is interesting because it
> > > illustrates how the term evolved.
> > >
> > > =E2=80=9Cmugs=E2=80=9D refers to the face of a criminal suspect photo=
graphed by police
> > > for a rogues gallery.
> > >
> > > Date: June 21, 1867
> > > Newspaper: The National Republican
> > > Newspaper Location: Washington, District of Columbia
> > > Article; Attempt at Burglary and Arrest
> > > Quote Page 3, Column 5
> > >
> > > https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/81173989/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Justice Harper, before whom they were taken, sent them to jail to
> > > await the action of the grand jury. Their "mugs" were photographed an=
d
> > > placed in the rogues' gallery among others of their prototypes.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 9:20=E2=80=AFPM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com=
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > The OED3 entry for "mug" dates the meaning "a photograph or other
> likeness
> > > > of a person's face, esp. in police or other official records" (def
> 1c) to
> > > > 1887. The phrase "mug shot" with the same meaning is dated to 1950,
> but
> > > > here are a couple of antedatings from 1935.
> > > >
> > > > ---
> > > >
> https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122288305/city-now-has-its-own-plant-for-=
mug/
> > > > Waco (Tex.) News-Tribune, Oct. 3, 1935, p. 10, col. 2
> > > > "City Now Has Its Own Plant for 'Mug' Shots"
> > > > The Waco police department now has its own film developing plant, f=
or
> > > > finishing pictures of prisoners who are "mugged" by Lieut. Sam
> Fuller of
> > > > the police identification bureau.
> > > > ---
> > > > San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 12, 1935, p. 17, col. 2 [Genealogyban=
k]
> > > > Henry Sutherland, "Previewed During the Week by Hollywood Appraiser=
"
> > > > [Description of the film "The Case of the Missing Man"]
> > > > Yearning to become an arty photographer, Roger gives up working for
> the
> > > > gazettes and sets up a fancy shop. He's reduced at length to
> snapping "mug
> > > > shots" of passers-by at two bits a copy, the payoff coming when his
> > > > abandoned news nose quivers accurately and one of his pictures trap=
s
> a
> > > > dangerous criminal.
> > > > ---
> > > >
> > > > There are numerous examples of "mug shot" from 1936 and later, but
> in the
> > > > pre-1935 results that I've seen, "shot" can be interpreted as a pas=
t
> > > > participle, as in "get/have your mug shot" (with "mug" construed as
> OED3
> > > > def 1c).
>

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