Before the stand-up series began, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) relied on the “Rogues Gallery” (established in 1857), which consisted of thousands of small, portrait-style photos of known criminals organized by height and specialty. By the turn of the 20th century, police departments integrated these photos into Bertillon cards, a French identification system combining physical measurements with front-and-profile mugshots.

In 1918, looking for a more practical way for detectives to recognize active criminals on the street, the NYPD launched the “Brooklyn Stand-Up series.” Subjects were photographed standing up against a plain background or height chart, capturing their complete physical presence rather than just a facial portrait.

When known collaborators, pickpocket rings, or gang members were arrested together, the NYPD photographed them in a group stand-up. This allowed detectives to document the physical associations and relative sizes of co-conspirators. The process was explicitly directed at recidivist criminals (repeat offenders) or individuals accused of severe, major crimes.