Thieves Collection

For Healths Sake
Comic illustration by Lawson Wood showing two cheeky monkey pilfering fruit from a sleeping orang utan, Gran pop. Title is For Healths Sake Take Things Quietly

The Pardoners Tale
The three rogues search in the woods for death

Hole in the Wall Gang, Fort Worth, Texas, 1900 (b/w photo)
415581 Hole in the Wall Gang, Fort Worth, Texas, 1900 (b/w photo) by Rose, Noah Hamilton (1874-1952); Denver Public Library, Western History Collection; (add.info.: In Fort Worth, Texas)

Raffles by E W Hornung & Augene Presbrey
Promotional postcard for Raffles the Amateur Cracksman by E. W. Hornung and Eugene Presbrey. First produced at the Comedy Theatre, 12th May 1906

Frys Cocoa Advert
Frys pure concentrated cocoa So good it has to be kept in a safe, for the pleasure of two skilful thieves

Jewelers Shop Raided
Two thieves break into a jewelers shop by making a hole in the ceiling, catching the debris in an umbrella, and using a ladder to get in and out

Rhodes and Beit
CECIL RHODES and Alfred Beit, photographed soon after they were described in Parliament as members of a common gang of thieves and swindlers

Oliver Meets Fagin
Oliver is introduced to the respectable old gentleman - actually Fagin, the head of a gang of thieves

The division of the robbery, at the Court of St. James, London, after a work by Isaac Cruikshank, 1796
1000899 The division of the robbery, at the Court of St. James, London, after a work by Isaac Cruikshank, 1796. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs

Criminals stealing
3478596 Criminals stealing; (add.info.: Woodcut print depicting criminals stealing money and other items of worth from the recently deceased. Dated 16th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Fratres in Malo: or Tim Bobbin's Rap at the Pyrates. Gallery of rogues
FLO4718185 Fratres in Malo: or Tim Bobbin's Rap at the Pyrates. Gallery of rogues, thieves and cheats in the book trade of the north of England and Scotland

He assumed a disguise suitable to his purpose, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'
3086232 He assumed a disguise suitable to his purpose, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', 1938 (colour litho) by Dulac

The Artful Dodger introducing Oliver to Fagin and the boys
2604842 The Artful Dodger introducing Oliver to Fagin and the boys; (add.info.: The Artful Dodger introducing Oliver to Fagin and the boys in the thieves' kitchen)

It is Gold, it is Gold!', illustration for 'The Snow Queen', by Hans Christian Andersen, 1938 (lithograph)
BAL4339 It is Gold, it is Gold!', illustration for 'The Snow Queen', by Hans Christian Andersen, 1938 (lithograph) by Dulac, Edmund (1882-1953); Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Drinking party at the Christopher public house for a society of old Etonians that stole inn and shop signs
FLO4618807 Drinking party at the Christopher public house for a society of old Etonians that stole inn and shop signs. Signs for a pawn shop, milliners, optician, wineseller, fishmonger, cobbler

Some of the Forty Thieves, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' (colour litho)
616789 Some of the Forty Thieves, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' (colour litho) by Dulac, Edmund (1882-1953); Private Collection; (add.info)

A winged Mercury
5308084 A winged Mercury.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a winged Mercury. Mercury, patron god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence (and thus poetry)

The division of the robbery. In St. Giles, London criminal district, after a work by Isaac Cruikshank, 1796
1000898 The division of the robbery. In St. Giles, London criminal district, after a work by Isaac Cruikshank, 1796. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard

Open Sesame, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' (colour litho)
616788 Open Sesame, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' (colour litho) by Dulac, Edmund (1882-1953); Private Collection; (add.info)

Mustapha doubted much of his ability to refrain from questions, illustration from 'Ali Baba
3086233 Mustapha doubted much of his ability to refrain from questions, illustration from 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', 1938 (colour litho) by Dulac

Calvary, 1923. Creator: Ludvig Karsten
Calvary, 1923

Kodembo no Shoshichi, an Osaka Thief, Tormented by Ghosts, 1875. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Kodembo no Shoshichi, an Osaka Thief, Tormented by Ghosts, 1875. From The Postal News, no. 614

Crucifixion, 1537. Creator: Peter Gertner
Crucifixion, 1537. The crowd includes men of many origins: Jewish, Turkish, German, and African. This diversity would both intrigue the viewer

Compiled Album from Four Series: A Mirror of Famous Generals of Japan... between 1876 and 1882
Compiled Album from Four Series: A Mirror of Famous Generals of Japan; Comic Pictures of Famous Places in Civilizing Tokyo; Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan; Twenty-four Hours in

Taira no Tadamori and the Oil Thief, 1885. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Taira no Tadamori and the Oil Thief, 1885. From Yoshitoshi's Warriors Trembling with Courage. Taira no Tadamori(1096-1153) found something lighting strangely in the dark at night

Tadamori and the Oil Thief, 1882. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Tadamori and the Oil Thief, 1882. From Sketches by Yoshitoshi

The Powerful Thief Kobayashi Masashichi Fighting Policemen, 1875. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
The Powerful Thief Kobayashi Masashichi Fighting Policemen, 1875. From The Postal News, no. 614

The Widow Fuku Giving Birth on the Way to Court for Arraignment for Theft, 1875. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
The Widow Fuku Giving Birth on the Way to Court for Arraignment for Theft, 1875. From The Postal News, no. 527

Sketches in China - a Thief whipped through the Streets of Canton, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Sketches in China - a Thief whipped through the Streets of Canton, 1858. Engraving of a sketch...received by the last Overland Mail from our Special Artist and Correspondent in China, who

Trois heures, 1839. Creator: Honore Daumier
Trois heures, 1839. Three o'clock. Monsieur Coquelet a la police correctionnelle, admire cette institution que met a l'abri des audacieuses enterpriser d'etre corrompu. (Mr)

Le Md de chaines de suretés, 1840. Creator: Honore Daumier
Le Md de chaines de suretes, 1840. La chaine de surete ainsi nomme par ce qu'elle est un moyen sur de faire savoir que le badaud qui l'achete posse une montre

Orestes and Pylades Disputing at the Altar, 1614. Creator: Pieter Lastman
Orestes and Pylades Disputing at the Altar, 1614. Other Title(s): Orestes and Pylades Disputing at the Altar (Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris)

The Firing and Sacking of the Synagogue, 1857. Creator: Unknown
The Firing and Sacking of the Synagogue, 1857. Scene from "Master Walter, the Physician. A Tale of Old London": "They have fired the Synagogue"...[Muriel] said quietly

Red cap, 1857. Creator: George Lance
Red cap, 1857

Le vol au renfoncement, 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Le vol au renfoncement, 19th century

The Good Thief (Saint Dismas), 1450-1460. Creator: Unknown
The Good Thief (Saint Dismas), 1450-1460

Trois heures, 1839. Creator: Honore Daumier
Singles Day (La Journee du Celibataire) - Trois heures, 1839. Three hours

Finding of a gang of thieves in an abandoned chapel, 1854. Creator: Wille, August von (1829-1887)
Finding of a gang of thieves in an abandoned chapel, 1854. Private Collection

The Crucifixion, 1506-1520. Creator: Lucas Cranach the Elder
The Crucifixion, 1506-1520

Christ on the cross between the two thieves, ca. 1631. Creator: Anon
Christ on the cross between the two thieves, ca. 1631

Tribute to the good thief, between 1695 and 1778. Creator: Franois Eisen
Tribute to the good thief, between 1695 and 1778

Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844. Creator: Theodore Chasseriau
Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844

Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844. Creator: Theodore Chasseriau
Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844

Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844. Creator: Theodore Chasseriau
Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!, plate one from Othello, 1844

Dandy Pickpockets Diving, published December 2, 1818. Creator: Isaac Robert Cruikshank
Dandy Pickpockets Diving, published December 2, 1818

Sof'ia "Golden Hand", 1890. Creator: Ivan Nikolaevich Krasnov. Sof'ia "Golden Hand", 1890
Sof'ia "Golden Hand", 1890. The photographs were taken on Sakhalin Island during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and provide rare glimpses of the island's settlements

The Parable of the Good Shepherd, 1565. Creator: Philip Galle
The Parable of the Good Shepherd, 1565

George Prices Safe Company - advert, c. 1907
3786284 George Prices Safe Company - advert, c. 1907; (add.info.: George Prices Safe Company - advert, c. 1907. Caption: Modern Burglars at Work)

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"Unveiling the Shadows: A Journey into the World of Thieves" In a world filled with tales of cunning and deceit, they have always held a captivating allure. From Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale" to Hornung and Presbrey's thrilling heist in "Raffles, " their stories have enthralled us for centuries. Even advertisements couldn't resist the intrigue, as seen in the iconic Fry's Cocoa advert that lured us with its irresistible temptation. But not all thieving is fictional; headlines scream of jewelers' shops raided by audacious criminals, leaving behind shattered dreams and stolen treasures. History too bears witness to infamous thieves like Rhodes and Beit, whose exploits echoed through time. And who can forget Oliver Twist meeting Fagin, unveiling a dark underbelly where innocence collides with corruption? Yet amidst this darkness, there are glimmers of hope. The Good Samaritan emerges from shadows to restore faith in humanity while reminding us that even they are find redemption. Art captures these tales vividly; Philip Galle's masterpiece "The Parable of the Good Shepherd" transports us back to 1565 when compassion triumphed over greed. Bruegel the Elder's poignant painting "Everyman" reminds us that we are all susceptible to temptation. But it is Pieter van der Heyden’s depiction of “Plundering a Farmhouse” that jolts our senses—revealing how war breeds desperation and turns ordinary people into desperate thieves fighting for survival. As time marches on, new legends emerge like Fort Worth’s notorious Hole in the Wall Gang captured forever in an evocative black-and-white photograph from 1900. And Agnello Brunelleschi battles both human adversaries and mythical serpents as part of his circle of thieves—a testament to mankind’s eternal fascination with danger. Through these diverse glimpses into thievery’s realm, we are reminded that the line between right and wrong can be blurred.