The ForensiKit: Mugshots box includes
- One height chart backdrop
- One changeable letter board with 164 letter, number, and symbol characters
- Ten FD-249 booking cards
- Fifteen 1.5-inch by 5-inch ink strips
- One activity insert (Download another copy [PDF])
- One packing list (Download another copy [PDF])
No subscription required
💡 Pro Tip: Need information about how to roll fingerprints? See our post on Printing with Ink for instructions and a video tutorial.
Activity – Same suspect, different looks
A person’s physical appearance can change over time. It’s one reason a suspect is photographed every time they’re arrested and later, if they’re convicted, photographed throughout their incarceration.
Materials needed:
- Assorted articles of clothing
- Cosmetics
- Wigs (if available)
- Eyeglasses (if available)
- Camera or cell phone to take photos
Steps
- Have your suspect dress in different outfits.
- Use larger or smaller clothing sizes and padding to simulate weight gain or loss.
- Use wigs or hair appliances to alter the appearance of their hairstyle and color.
- Use cosmetics to change the way their face looks.
- Take mugshot photos of your suspect in each look.
- Be sure to change the date on the letter board to reflect the passage of time.
- Modern-day subjects are generally required to remove hats, sunglasses, or other items that might obscure their appearance.
- Compare the collection of photos.
- How much were you able to change how your suspect looked? Enough to hinder identification?
- Would someone still be able to recognize the suspect looking only at the photos?
- Review the mugshots from history at the links in Additional Resources below. How much did the passage of time or the alteration of a person’s physical appearance affect the recognizability of the suspects in those real-life photos?
Additional Resources
View mugshots from history. See how many of the subjects you can recognize. Take note of how a subject’s appearance changed over time or when their hair was shaved (a common practice in 19th-century prisons).
- 35 historical mug shots reveal astonishing criminal stories – Mashable
- Famous Mugshots Throughout History: 33 Incredible Vintage Photos – All That’s Interesting
- 30 famous mugshots you’ve never seen before – History 101
- America’s oldest mugshots show the naked faces of the downtrodden, criminal, and marginalized – by Pete Brook | Timeline
Need more ink strips?
Disposable Ink Strips
Need more booking cards?
FD-249 Booking Fingerprint Cards
Want to add to your booking kit?
Evidence Bags Sample Pack
