Fascinating stories of crimes committed by ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances are now on display at Port Macquarie’s Library until March 31.
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Captured: Portraits of Crime is an exhibition produced by NSW State Archives and Records that explores the stories of men, women and children who were incarcerated in NSW gaols from 1870 to 1930.
The exhibition engages with photographic portraits and descriptions of prisoners sourced from the State Archives Collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books. These historic records have been digitised, and interpreted through research within and beyond the archives to illuminate events and contexts that led ordinary people to commit crimes.
Group manager Lucilla Marshall said the region is proud to have been selected as one of only 12 regional exhibition locations in New South Wales.
“Council are committed through our library services and facilities to bringing new, engaging and creative learning experiences to our region, and this exhibition does exactly that,” Ms Marshall said.
“It showcases a set of compelling stories of individuals through photographic portraits and criminal justice system archives documented more than 100 years ago, and provides an incredibly unique perspective on the history of NSW.
“This is an excellent exhibition that caters to everyone from true history buffs, school children learning about our past to people interested in photography or simply after a new and different cultural experience,” Ms Marshall added.
An official launch of the exhibition will take place at the Port Macquarie Library on Monday, March 4 at 11am. The exhibition is free of charge.
The exhibition can also be viewed online in a series of videos available at www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/exhibitions/captured
Captured received ‘highly commended’ in the Exhibitions Projects category at the Museums & Galleries NSW IMAGinE Awards last year.
