Hop-stop, we are not afraid of Scotland Yard: Color photographs of criminals of the 1930s

This series of pictures of criminals from the county of Tyne and Wear, engaged in their dirty deeds in the 1930s, was recently found in the archives of the police and painted by photographer Tom Marshall. Among the "heroes" of the criminal chronicle of those years are miner John Dodgson, known for his robberies and fraud, and Charles Ormston, a worker who committed a considerable number of armed robberies of private houses, pubs and warehouses.

Some of them are described as an "expert in pickpocketing", others as a "thief and a suspicious person". These black-and-white images were painted in order to give the public a new look at the harsh expressions of criminals, and descriptions of their atrocities allow you to look into the very heart of the criminal world of the 1930s. Most of the violators of the law were arrested for robbery and theft.

"I turn black-and-white pictures into color to bring the heroes of the photo to life. As usually happens, the eyes are the first thing that attracts attention when you look at a photo in color. I believe that by looking at the color pictures, we can better understand what was on the minds of these people. Who were they really: villains, as it appears in the protocols, or victims of circumstances who somehow had to survive in a poor region during one of the most financially troubled decades in the history of the XX century?" - said photographer Tom Marshall, who colored the photo.

"The head of a gang of thieves and a dark personality" - this is how miner John Dodgson is described in the police file. In addition, he was also known for robberies and fraud, and there were many tattoos on his arms.

"Breaking and entering": Charles Ormston, a worker 162 centimeters tall, had a reputation as a burglar of shops, private houses, pubs and warehouses. He entered buildings by breaking windows facing the courtyard.

George Colson, whose height was 160 centimeters, committed robberies, breaking into shops, offices and private homes. George used different methods of penetration, and he had a "blue dot" between his index finger and thumb.

James Lowry is a worker born in 1892. James is listed in the dossier as an expert on pickpocketing, also known for robberies. He had a scar on the back of his right arm.

Albert Dick is a worker, 177 centimeters tall, dark brown hair, blue eyes, was born in 1911. Albert was a thief of a wide profile, a "guest performer" and a "bear hunter". He acted together with thieves of all stripes.

Grinning Michael Lavery had a reputation as a shoplifter, and you could identify him by the scar on his chest.

John William Archibold, a street vendor, robbed shops and pubs. He worked alone, breaking windows to get into buildings.

"Cap": 155-centimeter James Boyd Potter had not only the annoying nickname Fat Potter, but also a long scar on the right side of his neck. He was known for breaking into pubs, shops and warehouses.

Born in 1896, a street vendor with blond hair and a height of 173 centimeters, was a robber who broke into houses and warehouses. He also worked with thieves of all stripes.

"Stone Face": Benedict Frederick Muir, a worker with brown hair, born in 1908, broke into pubs, shops and warehouses.

"Experienced criminal": Frederick Robertson Stewart, a storekeeper born in 1904, used various methods of breaking into private homes, pubs and warehouses. He usually also cracked safes.