W. M. Brown — Resisting an Officer | Marysville Police Mugshot T-Shirt
W. M. BROWN — RESISTING AN OFFICER
One man. Two police portraits. An arrest that began with a question about authority.
Marysville, California, early twentieth century.
W. M. Brown appears in two photographs taken by Clara S. Smith, a professional portrait photographer who also produced identification images for the local police.
In one photograph, Brown is shown in profile. In the other, he faces the camera wearing a dark hat and a high-necked sweater.
Above his head, a handwritten inscription records his name and the words “Resisting Officer.”
WHAT HAPPENED TO W. M. BROWN?
According to historical research published in connection with Arne Svenson's photographic collection Prisoners, Brown refused to comply with a police officer unless the officer showed a badge or other authority for making an arrest.
Brown was subsequently charged with disturbing the peace.
The surviving account does not establish every detail of the encounter, nor does it confirm the eventual outcome of his case.
What remains is a police record of a man who questioned an officer's authority — and whose objection became part of his photographic identity.
CLARA S. SMITH — THE POLICE CAMERA
Clara S. Smith operated the Ramona Art Studio in Marysville, California.
Around the beginning of the twentieth century, she photographed people brought in by local authorities, using techniques associated with professional studio portraiture.
Her photographs combine frontal and profile views with handwritten information about the person and alleged offence.
The resulting images are both instruments of identification and unusually compelling individual portraits.
THE REDISCOVERY
In the 1990s, artist and photographer Arne Svenson discovered hundreds of surviving glass negatives from Smith's police photographs.
He researched the lives of the people pictured, drawing on contemporary newspapers and prison records.
His work resulted in the 1997 book Prisoners: Murder, Mayhem, and Petit Larceny.
THE DESIGN
This black T-shirt features the historical photographic diptych of W. M. Brown on the back.
The front reproduces the appearance of an early twentieth-century police identification board, with distressed lettering:
W. M. BROWN
RESISTING AN OFFICER
MARYSVILLE, CALIFORNIA · c. 1901
The inscription is a contemporary graphic interpretation, not an original police placard. The date is approximate.
Together, the two sides connect a police portrait with the historical record behind it.
READING FRAMES — THE MUGSHOT ARCHIVE
The Mugshot Archive is a Reading Frames collection exploring historical police photography, identity, and the relationship between individuals and institutional images.
Reading Frames — History, Reframed.
More details
- 100% combed and ring-spun cotton
- Heather Prism Lilac & Heather Prism Natural are 99% combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester
- Athletic Heather is 90% combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
- Other Heather colors are 52% combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% polyester
- Lightweight fabric (4.2 oz)
- Women's relaxed fit
EU GPSR Product Information:
- Manufacturer contact information
- Name: Reading Frames
- Email: contact@support.readingframes.store
- Postal address: PO Box 5696 Santa Monica, CA 90405
- Additional information: This product is made for adults. Meets the flammability level requirements. 2 year warranty in EEA and UK, established by Directive 1999/44/EC.
Quality Guarantee & Returns
- Quality is guaranteed. If there is a print error or visible quality issue, we'll replace or refund it.
- Because the products are made to order, we do not accept general returns or sizing-related returns.
W. M. Brown — Resisting an Officer | Marysville Police Mugshot T-Shirt Size Guide
| Size label | Length | Width | Sleeve length |
|---|---|---|---|
|
S
|
25.25
|
18 1/2
|
7.75
|
|
M
|
26
|
20
|
8 1/2
|
|
L
|
26.75
|
22
|
8.75
|
|
XL
|
27 1/2
|
24
|
9 1/2
|
|
2XL
|
28.25
|
26
|
10.25
|
|
3XL
|
29
|
28
|
10.75
|
