Photography in Early Crime Scene Investigation (Josephine Langhorst)

Unknown. "Double homicide pde_1153”. 1916. NYC Municipal Archives. Police Department Archives, New York.
http://gothamist.com/upload/2012/05/5912crime15.jpg

In the early years when photography was developing a sense of power and evolving into a useful technology, police forces started to use it to become more efficient. Because of the refined equipment and photographic processes, police forces expanded and change was in the midst (Tagg, pg. 74). One major use of photography was the ability to enable accurate records that were relatively cheap and fast to create (Tagg, pg. 76).

The image above, found in the NYC Municiple Archives under the Police Department Evidence collection, shows what was a double homicide. The original photograph is actually a glass-print negative. Crime scene investigators documented their findings by taking photographs of Michael Santarto and Joseph Mazzarella who were shot and killed on April 30th, 1916. In this photo, we see a view of the hallway in which Santarto was called out dinner and into the hallway where he was shot and left for dead (“16 Grisliest Crime Scene Photos From 1920s NYC.”). Investigators didn’t move the body or change the crime scene in any way before documenting it with photographs which were used as evidence. This photo was used as an accurate record of evidence and to document the crime in the legal system.

Unknown. "Double homicide pde_1154”. 1916. NYC Municipal Archives. Police Department Archives, New York.

http://gothamist.com/attachments/nyc_chrisrobbins/5912crime15p2.jpg

One exhibition from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) called “Police Pictures” is not what it seems. Surprisingly, it is about delight. “Police Pictures” have rather distressing themes to them; including but not limited to lynchings, murders, and mugshots (Intra, pg. 2). However, these distressing themes are morphed into finer things. These photographs are seen as art pieces that are pumped up by the populist doctrines of “reality television” and “real life crime”- all blended into one! (Intra, pg. 2). The photos are posted for the viewer to reflect personally- regardless of their professional level. Oddly enough, the photographs in this category that are considered “good” are the more cruel and unusually violent ones (Intra, pg. 2). The viewers can’t help but be interested and take an immense interest in the obscene photograph.

The second glass-plate negative image presented, found in the NYC Municipal Archives, is part of the same double homicide of Michael Santarto and Joseph Mazzarella. This crime scene was photographed on April 30th, 1916 and is found under the Police Department Evidence collection. This angle shows the extent of the wounds in which the victim (Santarto) faced. It documents the victim's attire, body position, and location of the body. The picture also captures the feet of one of the crime scene investigators who was at the scene. We also see the device that they used to holster the camera above the body to get an overhead view. These images were used as evidence and to document the crime in the legal system.

Unknown. Number 4 Folding Kodak Junior. Kodaksefke.nl. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.

http://www.kodaksefke.nl/mediapool/89/892906/resources/big_32034477_0_700-448.jpg

Photographic Technology: Glass Plate Negatives (1851-1920's)
Invented by Frederick Scott Archer, glass-plate negatives made it so pictures were printed onto smooth glass negatives rather than paper ones. This process was similar to William Henry Fox Talbot's Calotype; however, this process allowed images to last longer, look better, and even have one negative become multiplied several times ("A Brief History of Photography."). Glass-plate negatives did not replace the famous daguerreotype; however, it did give it a run for its money. It became one of the most common types of photographs. The photo above is an example of what a glass-plate negative camera would look like, along with some sample images next to it. 

Works Cited:

"16 Grisliest Crime Scene Photos From 1920s NYC." Gothamist. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://gothamist.com/2012/05/09/14_grisliest_crime_scene_photos_fro.php#photo-9.>

"A Brief History of Photography." A Brief History of Photography. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. <http://authentichistory.com/1865-1897/5-technology/1-photography/index.html>.

Intra, Giovanni. "Police Pictures: The Photograph as Evidence. " Afterimage. 25.n5 (March-April 1998): 12(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. UC San Diego. 14 Feb. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve& tabID=T003&prodId=EAIM&docId=A20582796&source=gale&srcprod=EAIM& userGroupName=ucsandiego&version=1.0.>

Tagg, J. (1993). The Burden of Representation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Unknown. "Double homicide pde_1153”. 1916. NYC Municipal Archives. Police Department Archives, New York.

Unknown. "Double homicide pde_1154”. 1916. NYC Municipal Archives. Police Department Archives, New York.

Unknown. "Number 4 Folding Kodak Junior". Kodaksefke.nl. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.