Murder in the City: New York, 1910–1920 – Unveiling a Forgotten Crime Scene Photo Archive

Man in a barrel on grass, surrounded by onlookers and a vintage car. Another man lies on the ground with a hat beside him. Night setting.

In the early 20th century, New York City was a volatile, dangerous place, with crime and violence ever-present on its streets. Amidst this backdrop of societal change and criminal chaos, a fascinating and disturbing photographic record was quietly being created, capturing the often-brutal realities of the city’s underworld. A century later, these lost images would resurface, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the blood-stained history of New York’s criminal past. The result of this rediscovery was the 2017 book Murder in the City: New York, 1910–1920, compiled by filmmaker and photographer Wilfried Kaute. This collection of forensic photographs not only sheds light on forgotten crimes but also reflects the early days of crime scene photography and the rise of modern policing.

Man lying face down in a dirt trench, surrounded by wooden beams. A discarded bottle and hat nearby. Somber, gritty atmosphere. — A sailor found dead in New York with a bottle of whisky, May 2, 1917.

The Rediscovery of Forgotten Images

The story behind Murder in the City is as intriguing as the photos themselves. In the mid-1990s, a vast and forgotten archive of NYPD forensic images was discovered deep in the recesses of the Municipal Archives of New York. Thousands of glass plate negatives and vintage prints, documenting crime scenes from the early 20th century, had been hidden away for decades, seemingly lost to history. These grim yet captivating images had been taken by NYPD photographers from around 1910 to the 1920s, documenting everything from crime scenes, street murders, and accidents to fires and other moments of death and destruction.

A person lies on a disheveled bed in dim lighting, eyes closed. Clothes are rumpled; the mood is somber. A chair and scattered shoes are visible. — The body of Antonio Pemear in Hudson Ave, Brooklyn, New York who was murdered in his residence, December 19, 1915.

These images were originally intended as evidence – visual records to assist the police in their investigations and prosecutions. Yet, over the years, they became forgotten relics of a bygone era of law enforcement. With advancements in photography, police departments shifted to newer technology, and older forensic images were archived, falling into obscurity. The negatives, some cracked and fragile, were stored haphazardly, never intended for any sort of public viewing. If not for this fortuitous rediscovery, these haunting glimpses into New York’s violent past might have been lost forever.

Man in striped shirt lying on the floor with scattered cards around. Overturned chair nearby. Dimly lit, somber setting. — A homicide victim lying in a bar or restaurant, circa 1916.

Once found, this collection of over 1,000 images became an extraordinary visual archive of life and death in early 20th-century New York City. Yet, it wasn’t until 2017, when Wilfried Kaute began curating and compiling them, that these images gained a wider audience. In his book, Murder in the City, Kaute provides a detailed and chilling portrayal of New York’s dark history through these photographs, revealing a side of the city that was hidden from public view for decades.

A man in a suit lies in a stairwell with a patterned tile floor. A hat is beside him. The mood is tense and dramatic.

The Origins of Crime Scene Photography

The NYPD’s use of forensic photography in the early 20th century was pioneering for its time. The development of crime scene photography marked the beginning of modern forensic investigation practices, providing police with new tools to examine evidence and understand crime scenes.

A person lies on the floor of a disheveled room with a table, chairs, and scattered items. The black and white scene feels tense and unsettling. — PATROLMAN SLAIN WHILE WIFE WAITS, screamed the headline in the New York Sun, July 4, 1917 “Patrolman About to Buy Funeral Wreath, He Is Called to Flat to Quell Row.”

By the early 1900s, the NYPD was growing more professionalised and methodical in its crime-fighting tactics. As part of these changes, the police began documenting crime scenes with photographs as a way to record vital details that could not be fully captured by written reports alone. These crime scene photographs, taken using large-format cameras on glass plate negatives, were cutting-edge for their time.

Bust of a man with a flat cap, made of a material resembling wax or clay. Background is plain, conveying a neutral, timeless mood. — A skeleton fitted with features made from wax in order to identify the slain party, New York, circa 1910s.

These photographers, often under immense pressure, had to skilfully capture the minutiae of the crime scene—the position of the body, the blood splatter, the surrounding area, and any incriminating evidence. The photographs also offered an objective record, a moment frozen in time that could be used in court to help establish the sequence of events. In this way, forensic photography became an indispensable tool for the NYPD, contributing to the rise of detective work and the scientific approach to solving crimes.

It is important to recognise that many of these crime scene photographers were not just documentarians of tragedy but also pioneers of a new method in police work. Their images served as a kind of raw and unflinching mirror to the violence that stalked New York’s streets during this period of great social and economic upheaval.

Man lies motionless on a city sidewalk at night. Nearby stands a blurred figure. Dimly lit brick building with storefronts in the background.

The Stories Behind the Photographs

The photographs themselves are striking not only for their subject matter but for the way they blur the line between documentary evidence and grim artistry. These images often have an eerie, almost cinematic quality, displaying the stark realities of crime and death, while also capturing a moment in New York’s history that feels both alien and oddly familiar.

A man and woman lie on a bed, she under a patterned quilt with a hat, he in a suit. The room's wallpaper and carpet add a vintage feel. — An image of a dead man and woman with the title ‘Double Homicide,’ taken in New York, June 17, 1915.

In one photo, a body lies slumped in an alleyway, surrounded by darkened walls. The shadows and lighting evoke a scene reminiscent of film noir, even though this photographic genre did not exist at the time. In another image, an apartment appears quiet and serene, save for the lone figure lying lifeless on the floor. These moments of quiet horror seem at once mundane and otherworldly, a strange juxtaposition that comes from capturing the instant when life abruptly ends.

A man in a coat lies face down on a street, hat nearby. The scene is dimly lit, creating a somber mood. Street marks visible around. — A man lies dead with a devastating head wound, New York, circa 1910s.

Some photographs show the results of gangland killings, the marks of violent criminal organisations that controlled much of the city’s underworld during this era. New York in the 1910s was a city in transition, shaped by waves of immigration, rapid industrialisation, and political corruption. It was a place where organised crime flourished, and police corruption often undermined law enforcement efforts. Gangs such as the Five Points Gang and Eastman Gang controlled territories and engaged in brutal turf wars. Meanwhile, the city’s teeming immigrant population lived in overcrowded tenements, where crime often found fertile ground.

Two men lie on a cluttered, industrial floor beside metal coils and chains. The dim setting and debris create a somber mood. — The bodies of Robert Green, a lift operator, left, and Jacob Jagendorf, a building engineer, right, found lying at the bottom of an lift shaft November 24, 1915, after the pair’s alleged failed robbery attempt.

Many of the crimes documented in Murder in the City are unknown to us today, long-forgotten tragedies of nameless victims. Unlike today, when high-profile murders might be dissected endlessly in the media, these cases largely slipped through the cracks of history, their victims remembered only by those close to them. Yet the images tell their own story—a story of violence, survival, and the relentless churn of a city that was both thriving and decaying.

Dimly lit bar with bottles on counter; a man stands wearing a suit and bowler hat. A person lies on the floor. Sign reads: "BUY NO MORE." — A slain man lies behind a bar as a piece of paper stuck to a mirror reads ‘Trust No More,’ New York, circa 1910s.

The Legacy of Murder in the City

When Wilfried Kaute set out to compile these images into a book, his aim was not just to reveal the brutality of early 20th-century New York but also to highlight the role of forensic photography in the development of modern policing. Kaute’s book is a historical document in its own right, preserving these long-lost images and the stories they tell.

Man slumped against a large wooden barrel in a dim, cluttered cellar with wooden casks. The scene feels somber and abandoned. — The body of Domenic Mastropaolos, who was stabbed and slashed to death in a wine cellar on 294 Elizabeth Street, New York, circa 1916-1920.

By placing the photographs alongside police reports and historical context, Kaute successfully reconstructs a city caught in the throes of modernisation, its police force grappling with new techniques, and its citizens facing the dark realities of urban life. The book offers a glimpse into the macabre world of early 20th-century crime, while also showcasing the evolution of investigative methods that are still in use today.

The legacy of Murder in the City extends beyond its pages. It speaks to the power of archives and the importance of preserving historical records, even those that may seem insignificant or too grim for public consumption. The rediscovery of these crime scene photographs reminds us that history often lies buried in forgotten places, waiting for someone to uncover it and bring it back to life.

Person lying on a cobblestone street, surrounded by railings. The setting is dimly lit, evoking a somber mood. — His hat lying where it fell upon his collapse, our victim lies on the sidewalk by the stoop of a café. The photographer’s tripod legs complete the surrealistic tableau.

In addition, the book serves as a stark reminder of the realities of crime and violence that have always been part of urban life, even in a city as celebrated as New York. The photographs reveal a hidden history, one that is not defined by skyscrapers and culture but by the struggles of ordinary people in extraordinary times.