St. Louis Rogues' Gallery

Photography was in its infancy in the middle years of the nineteenth century when the St. Louis Police Department started making portraits of suspected criminals. But these were not the front and side shots we know today; they were carefully posed photos that often showed people sitting in chairs or standing. Captivated by these images, author Shayne Davidson began tracking down information about the suspects and their history. The result is Captured and Exposed: The First Police Rogues' Gallery in America, an interactive eBook produced with the Missouri History Museum Press. Davidson visits the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; www.mohistory.org) at 7 p.m. tonight to discuss the book and its fascinating subjects. Admission is free.