Mugshot

About

A mug shot is a photographic portrait taken from the shoulders up, typically captured after a person is placed under arrest. The primary purpose is to allow law enforcement to maintain a photographic record for identification by victims, the public, and investigators. Photographing of criminals began in the 1840s, shortly after photography was invented, but the process was not standardized until 1888 by French police officer Alphonse Bertillon. In the United States, entrepreneurs have recently begun to monetize these public records through the mug shot publishing industry.