This book is a fascinating compilation of photographs and stories from the 1920's and 30's (or thereabouts) in Sydney. During this period for some reason, police in Sydney Central Station started taking photos of people who passed through. Many of them are between arrest and charge, and certainly before court or any other proceedings. To go along with the photographs Doyle has, where possible, matched up a little of each person's story - the charge, their ongoing record, or more poignantly - found nothing more about the person whose image becomes even more evocative.
The photographs themselves are simply startling. Stark, frequently surprising, relaxed or guarded, the images of these people are astounding. Standing or seated, usually in a pair of photos, these images show people in facial close-up and then full-length. The clarity of these images is remarkable, and the detail they show, from the faces of the subjects, through to their clothes, accessories, their shoes and their expressions is really something to behold. Many of the photographs are haunting - the past staring the present and future straight in the eye.
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