[Shoplifters at Woolworth's, Chicago]

Akin to the rogues’ galleries compiled by nineteenth-century police departments, this extraordinary album, likely created by a security guard or store manager, records dozens of individuals accused of shoplifting at a Woolworth’s in Chicago in the early 1960s. Possibly made with a concealed camera, the photographs show the culprits seated next to a desk with a calendar on the wall behind them. Next to each image is a hand-written caption identifying and classifying the subject (“shoplifter, “booster,” “narcotics addict,” “former employee”) and detailing what they attempted to steal along with the value of the goods. Some subjects appear stubbornly defiant: one man with thick glasses stares blankly at the camera after trying to make off with a six-dollar “religious statue.” Others look as though they are about to burst into tears. A forlorn-looking young woman with downcast eyes appears with a note that reads: “Shoplifter: 3 Blouses – Total $5.97 – Apprehended with mother.” Although the album was created as a utilitarian document, the combined effect of candid portraits and detailed captions is unexpectedly poignant.