Gallery of Victorian Prisoners Online

The National Archives of the UK is now offering an exhibit of photographs and case details of prisoners in Wandsworth Prison during the Victorian era. The photographs date from 1872 and 1873. While the case information is free, downloading the pictures costs. The introduction to it's at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/stories/47.htm .

You can review the documents by browsing a list of prisoners, or doing a search. The prisoner list includes the name of the prisoner, age, date, catalog reference number, and a details link. The details link provides information on the prisoner, their crime, and sentence. The picture, in the ones I looked at, was a downloadable PDF for 3.5 pounds.

You know, if the National Archives wants to make some money off their materials that's totally cool. However, if you're going to sell pictures, how about at least having some kind of thumbnail of the picture. Say I had a great-great-grandfather whose name matches one of the names on the list, and I have a picture of him. Could I at least see a thumbnail of each person listed so I can say, "Yes, that's him," and then buy the picture?

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