John Lockhart, the first rogue photographed, was told to leave St. Louis within 24 hours as punishment for pickpocketing. The philosophy was one of “let’s move them along,” Davidson says. “They can be the burden of taxpayers in another city.”

Another trend was the prevalence of the poor and newly immigrated. Many of the 37 identified rogues are either Irish and German immigrants or their children. While the ethnicities of the immigrants have changed over the years, moving from Irish and German to Mexican and Middle Eastern, the prevalence is the same.

Davidson is quick to acknowledge, though, that she is not an expert on policing and that “anytime you make an overall comment about (the rogues’ gallery), you do have to say we only know 37 identified people.”

While reflecting on the past can lead to revelations about the present, those takeaways aren’t necessarily what Davidson wants to be the book’s lasting impression.

“I’m hoping that it piques people’s interest,” Davidson says, adding that she would love for others to pick up research on rogues’ galleries and the stories behind the photographs.

Providing a “window to the past” is Davidson’s goal, but ultimately, “Captured and Exposed” is meant to be a launching pad of historical research, not the end of the road.

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