This gallery of Wild West mugshots shows some of the most notorious criminals from the late 1800s and early 1900s, along with details of their daring exploits. Criminals in the Wild West often found themselves incarcerated in harsh and unforgiving environments. One of the most infamous prisons was the Wyoming Frontier Prison. Built in 1901, this facility lacked basic amenities such as electricity and indoor plumbing, making life inside exceptionally tough. The prison was notorious for its brutal conditions, which included a torture dungeon where inmates were routinely subjected to beatings and whippings. Even as the century turned, many Old West jails continued their barbaric ways. The Wyoming Frontier Prison, for example, did not close until 1981, having housed approximately 13,500 inmates over its long history, including 11 women. Another notorious facility in Wyoming was known for its cramped conditions, where two prisoners were confined to five-foot-wide cells and subjected to a strict no-talking policy. Prisons of the Wild West housed some of the most infamous criminals in American history, outlaws who thrived in the lawless frontier. The mugshots in the gallery above include notorious figures such as the Younger Gang, a band of brothers—Cole, Bob, and Jim Younger—who became infamous for their string of robberies across Missouri, Texas, and nearby states. The Younger brothers eventually joined forces with another pair of outlaw siblings, Frank and Jesse James, forming the legendary James-Younger Gang. Together, they orchestrated daring robberies and eluded capture for years. Jesse James, the charismatic leader, wrote letters to sympathetic newspaper editors, portraying the gang as modern-day Robin Hoods who robbed the rich to help the poor. Their criminal exploits, however, came to a dramatic halt during a botched bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota, in September 1876. Outnumbered and faced with armed townspeople, the gang was forced to flee. While the James brothers managed to escape and continue their criminal activities, the Younger brothers were captured by a determined posse in the nearby woods. The concept of the modern mugshot dates back to 1840s Belgium, where police began photographing prisoners to ensure they could be identified if they reoffended after release. By 1857, the practice had spread to New York, where police regularly took photos of suspects and displayed them in public galleries to enlist the help of citizens in capturing criminals. By the 1860s, these mugshots were a common sight on wanted posters throughout America. Initially, mugshots did not use the now-standard front and profile view format. This dual-view format was pioneered in 1888 by French police officer Alphonse Bertillon, marking a significant advancement in criminal identification. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / American Wild West in Photos via Flickr / Images upscaled and improved by RHP). Notify me of new posts by email.

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