NRS-2327 | Photograph description books [Maitland 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. 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.'The series consists of individual loose-leaf sheets each including a photo or photographs of a prisoner, accompanied by the following details: name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, arrived in colony - ship and year, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, previous convictions - where and when, offence, sentence.

本系列档案系依据1867年2月19日《新南威尔士（New South Wales）政府公报增刊》中公布的《狱政规程》（Gaol Regulations）制定。各监狱的监狱长（Gaoler）须编制并留存《描述簿》（Description Book），该簿册需与《入狱登记册》（Entrance Books）采用相同的编排顺序，且须载明所有收押囚犯的个人特征、宗教信仰及其他所有法定必填信息。同时还需维护该描述簿的索引目录。

部分监狱早在该规程颁布前就已开始维护描述簿。为将囚犯照片纳入描述簿的拍摄工作始于19世纪末，但直至20世纪中期，随着《1952年监狱法》（Prisons Act 1952，第9号法令，1952年）的出台才得到规范。该法明确规定："所有囚犯均须接受拍照，采集其指纹与掌纹，并记录规定的个人特征相关细节。"

本系列档案由单张活页文档构成，每张文档均附有一名或多名囚犯的照片，并附带以下详细信息：姓名、别名、肖像拍摄日期、籍贯、出生年份、抵达殖民地的船次及年份、行业或职业、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、受审地点与时间、所犯罪行、判决结果、备注、前科记录——包括受审时间与地点、所犯罪行、判决结果。