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Smithsonian Roulette

Thinking of starting up another account to post these amazing evocative images, the mugshots and carceral records of Australian convicts from the 19th century.

Check out this marvellous man, whose name is Chuck Hoon, whose expression is "seriously?" in this lush sepia image and whose offence is Evading Poll Tax, which in itself tells a whole story about racist laws in Australia.

oldtreasurybuilding.org.au/pas

His religion is recorded as "Pagan", you'll note.

Here's a Tasmanian doctor convicted of "using an instrument to procure a miscarriage" in 1927. Shady backstreet exploiter of vulnerable women, or noble pioneer of women’s right to choose, accepting a jail sentence for his conscience? I'd have to research further.

Lucky we sorted out that contentious issue over the last <checks notes> hundred. goddamn. years. amirite?

@SmithsonianRoulette @jalefkowit establishing the head-canon that Chuck Hoon was the inventor of hooning