The Queensland Police Museum is breathing new life into true crime history with its latest exhibition, ‘Rogues and Vagabonds’.
The captivating showcase features a series of dramatised criminal mugshots from the past century, reimagined as striking paintings by the Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Tiernan.
Drawing inspiration from real-life black and white photographs, the exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the lives and stories behind people who have been caught up on the wrong side of the law over the years.
Detective Chief Inspector Tiernan says during his almost 30-year career with the QPS, he often found himself observing people in moments of vulnerability, while off duty he channels his keen eye and observations into art.
“The collection draws on historic criminal mugshots from Queensland and New South Wales which present the subjects as figures frozen in a single moment in time,” Detective Chief Inspector Tiernan said.
“The portraits reimagine these moments, delving into the humanity behind these people’s stories,” he said.
One portrait revisits the life of Alwyn Henshaw Harris, an Englishman who travelled throughout Australia as a short order cook.
Police records list more than 60 convictions before the age of 50, with the most notable charge in South Australia for being a ‘rogue and a vagabond’, relating to his ongoing homelessness and theft of food and bedding.
Another portrait explores the life of Vera Purdy, described as a fixture of Darlinghurst nightlife.
“She lived through difficult relationships and bold ambitions, but her criminal record tells only a fraction of her story,” Detective Chief Inspector Tiernan said.
“When you look beyond her mug shot, Vera’s story shows a woman with presence, dry wit and a larger-than-life personality,” he said.
Sharply dressed Toowoomba man William Harrington Croker also appears in the series, showing a history of vagrancy convictions throughout the 1930s.
Croker’s crimes were typically waiting outside local bars to rob intoxicated persons and menacing bookmakers at race meetings.