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Descriptive note: |
The series was created in accordance with the 'Gaol Regulations' proclaimed in the Supplement to the NSW Government Gazette of 19 February 1867. A 'Description Book' was required to be created and maintained by the Gaoler of each prison. The Description Book was to be kept in the same order as the Entrance Books and was to contain the following details: personal description, religion, and all other prescribed information of all prisoners received. An index to the Description Books also had to be maintained (1). Some prisons maintained description books prior to this regulation.
Photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the Nineteenth century although it was not regulated until the mid Twentieth Century with the passage of the Prisons Act, 1952 (Act No. 9, 1952) which stated ‘Every prisoner shall be liable to be photographed, to have the impression of his fingers and palms taken, and to have such details of his personal description as may be prescribed recorded’ (2).
This series contains a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony - ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).
There appears to have been one face-on photograph per individual until about 1894 when there was both a face-on and a side-on photograph per individual. There are indexes for the following volumes: NRS 1998/2 3/13069 – NRS 1998/2 3/13075.
NRS 1998/2 appears to be a copy of NRS 1998/1 although they are arranged differently. NRS 1998/1 is arranged by photograph number and NRS 1998/2 is roughly chronological and is arranged by page number. There is no documentation to indicate why there is a second copy of the records or the function of these copies. These may have been drafts from which the main series was compiled or a duplicate set that may have been maintained for central storage.
Between 13 March and July 1930 Photographic Description books were relaced by photograph description sheets that included similar information .
Two registered consignments plus (14/3073-3083). 11 boxes.
End Notes:
(1) Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette 19 February 1867, 5.
(2) Prisons Act, 1952 s.19
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