NRS-2057 | Photographic Description Books [Broken Hill Gaol]

The series was created in accordance with the 'Gaol Regulations' proclaimed in the Supplement to the NSW Government Gazette of 19 February 1867. A 'Description Book' was required to be created and maintained by the Gaoler of each prison. The Description Book was to be kept in the same order as the Entrance Books and was to contain the following details: personal description, religion, and all other prescribed information of all prisoners received. An index to the Description Books also had to be maintained (1). Some prisons maintained description books prior to this regulation. Photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the Nineteenth century although it was not regulated until the mid Twentieth Century with the passage of the Prisons Act, 1952 (Act No. 9, 1952) which stated ‘Every prisoner shall be liable to be photographed, to have the impression of his fingers and palms taken, and to have such details of his personal description as may be prescribed recorded’ (2).This series contains a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony - ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).There appears to have been one face-on and a side-on photograph per individual until about 1925 when there was both a face-on and a full-length photograph per individual. Endnotes 1. Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette No.32, 19 February 1867, pp.486-487, Regulation 5. 2. Prisons Act, 1952 s.19.

本系列档案依据1867年2月19日《新南威尔士政府公报增刊》公布的《监狱规章》（Gaol Regulations）制定。
各监狱典狱长须编制并维护《档案登记簿》（Description Book），该登记簿需与入监登记簿（Entrance Books）格式统一，并收录所有在押囚犯的个人概况、宗教信仰及其他规定填报信息，同时还需维护该登记簿的索引（1）。
部分监狱早在该规章出台前便已编制囚犯档案登记簿。为档案登记簿拍摄囚犯照片的工作始于19世纪末期，但相关规范直至20世纪中期才随1952年《监狱法》（Prisons Act 1952，法案编号第9号）的颁布得以确立，该法明确规定："所有在押囚犯均须接受拍照、采集指掌纹，并记录规定范围内的个人概况信息"（2）。
本系列档案包含每名囚犯的照片及以下信息：编号、囚犯姓名、别名、肖像拍摄日期、籍贯、出生年份、抵达殖民地的相关详情——搭乘船只及抵达年份、职业、宗教信仰、受教育程度、身高、（收押时与释放时的）体重、发色、瞳色、体表标记或特殊特征、肖像拍摄次数、受审地点与时间、所犯罪行、判决结果、备注，以及前科详情（包括受审时间地点、所犯罪行与判决结果）。
1925年前后，每名囚犯的拍摄形式从仅拍摄正面照（face-on）与侧面照（side-on），转变为同时拍摄正面照与全身照（full-length）。
注释
1. 《新南威尔士政府公报增刊》第32号，1867年2月19日，第486-487页，规章第5条。
2. 1952年《监狱法》第19条。