The body in the library

The advent of crime scene photography

For my doctoral research, I searched through seemingly endless trial depositions at the National Archives looking for examples of detective practice and on one visit, I made a most disturbing and startling discovery: I came face to face with a murder victim. In a nondescript blue file, tied with a tatty piece of string were the very first crime scene photographs that I’ve found tucked away in a library. Despite the distressing content of the photos, they gave me a fascinating glimpse into how crime scene photography was actually used in a historical homicide.

I came across the images while I was skimming through the deposition file. I had noted that the alleged crime took place in Carlisle in 1910, but I hadn’t found anything of particular relevance to my project until I finished going through the handwritten testimonies. First there was a faded photo of the location of the crime, in the West Walls area of the city. The corners were curled and the image blotchy but I could see the doorway to the premises quite clearly. Another photo showed the building from the other side, complete with gaslight in the street. I was keen to see what was behind the slatted wooden door…