Crooks Collection

Cockney Blacksmith / 1932
Mr Charles Mitchell, the village smithy of Pyecombe, Sussex, claims to be a real cockney. Pyecombe forge have been making their famous crooks for centuries

The Nativity at Night, 1640 (oil on canvas)
XCF272249 The Nativity at Night, 1640 (oil on canvas) by Reni, Guido (1575-1642); 480x321 cm; National Gallery, London, UK; Italian, out of copyright

American Riverboat Gamblers
3031128 American Riverboat Gamblers; Private Collection; (add.info.: Extremely unsavory looking American riverboat gamblers circa 1850); © Don Troiani. All Rights Reserved 2022.

Illustration for November for Edmund Spenser's poem The Shepheard's Calendar, 1597
527788 Illustration for November for Edmund Spenser's poem The Shepheard's Calendar, 1597. Two shepherds holding their shpherd's crooks guard their flocks

An engraving depicting woodcutters in Normandy transporting their fuel in crooks on pack horses, 19th century
5311073 An engraving depicting woodcutters in Normandy transporting their fuel in crooks on pack horses, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1851); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Shepherds with their flocks and dogs. Figure on left is holding bagpipes and, as well as crooks for handling the sheep
532670 Shepherds with their flocks and dogs. Figure on left is holding bagpipes and, as well as crooks for handling the sheep, there are woodwind instruments on the ground

Mille fleurs tapestry fragment depicting shepherd and shepherdess or lady and youth (wool & silk)
3576189 Mille fleurs tapestry fragment depicting shepherd and shepherdess or lady and youth (wool & silk) by European School, (15th century); 95.2x128.2 cm; Burrell Collection, Glasgow

St Bernard Crushing a Demon, 1563 (oil on panel)
868065 St Bernard Crushing a Demon, 1563 (oil on panel) by Venusti, Marcello (c.1512-79); 222x108 cm; Vatican Museums and Galleries, Vatican City; (add.info.: Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - August 20)

Police officer nabs a crook, the habitual criminal, cartoon in Punch magazine, 1869 (engraving)
3245349 Police officer nabs a crook, the habitual criminal, cartoon in Punch magazine, 1869 (engraving) by British School, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Pictures

Anselm made Archbishop of Canterbury by William II, 1093
984733 Anselm made Archbishop of Canterbury by William II, 1093, from A Chronicle of England BC 55 to AD 1485, pub. London, 1863 (colour litho) by Doyle

St Patrick, pub. Currier & Ives, c. 1860 (hand coloured engraving)
1199922 St Patrick, pub. Currier & Ives, c.1860 (hand coloured engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Apostle of Ireland St. Patrick (A.D. 372 - A.D)

Children and a Cow, 1635-39 (oil on wood)
5667204 Children and a Cow, 1635-39 (oil on wood) by Cuyp, Aelbert (1620-91) (attr.to); 43.8 x 54.6 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; Dutch, out of copyright

Catalogue cover, His Masters Voice records, December 1934
Catalogue cover, His Masters Voice records for December 1934, Gifts of Lasting Pleasure, with portraits of singers and performers. Date: 1934

Truth "Chamber of Horrors"(colour litho)
964610 Truth " Chamber of Horrors" (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Truth " Chamber of Horrors")

Will Crooks (colour litho)
613073 Will Crooks (colour litho) by Ward, Leslie Matthew (Spy) (1851-1922); Private Collection; (add.info.: Will Crooks, The Labourer is worthy of his hire, 6 April 1905)

Joseph Cast into the Pit by his Brethren, from a bible printed by Edward Gover
STC87903 Joseph Cast into the Pit by his Brethren, from a bible printed by Edward Gover, 1870s (litho) by Bendixen, Siegfried Detler (1786-1864); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; German

Christmas card with an angel and shepherds (colour litho)
3104267 Christmas card with an angel and shepherds (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Christmas card with an angel and shepherds)

An Underground Stale-Beer Dive Late at Night in Mulberry Street Bend (litho)
6021934 An Underground Stale-Beer Dive Late at Night in Mulberry Street Bend (litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

The monks of Christchurch expelled, 14 July 1207, from A Chronicle of England BC 55 to AD
984748 The monks of Christchurch expelled, 14 July 1207, from A Chronicle of England BC 55 to AD 1485, pub. London, 1863 (colour litho) by Doyle

Womens deputation over the rights to vote 1905
Six thousands women procession in London, to the Prime Minster Balfour, over the womens rights to vote. Date: November 1905

COCKNEY BLACKSMITH / 1932
Mr Charles Mitchell, the village smithy of Pyecombe, Sussex, claims to be a real cockney. Pyecombe forge have been making their famous crooks for centuries. Date: 29 September 1932

Fresco painted by Paul Lemasson in 1927, of Sainte Genevieves reliquary carried in procession, Sainte Genevieves Cathedral, Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, France, Europe

The Crucifixion Of Christ

Cartoon, Siege Guns of Rhetoric, WW1
Cartoon, Siege Guns of Rhetoric, or how our politicians are helping the work of the services. Showing politicians of different persuasions combining together against the common enemy in the early

Will Crooks, politician
WILL CROOKS Labour MP Date: 1852 - 1921

Romanian Shepherds
Two Romanian Shepherds in thick sheepskin jackets and fur hats, lean on their crooks and look throughly chilly!! Date: 1901

Old Card Sharks
Old card sharks analysing the game in hand... Date: 1930s

JAMES JEROME HILL (1838-1916). American railway promoter. Photographed (fourth from right) with some of his associates in front of the William Crooks

Shepherds with their flocks and dogs. Figure on left is holding bagpipes and, as well as crooks for handling the sheep, there are woodwind instruments on the ground

Illustration for November for Edmund Spensers poem The Shepheards Calendar, 1597. Two shepherds holding their shpherds crooks guard their flocks, one of them playing a wiond instrument. Woodcut

Women firewood sellers from Bareges, French Pyrenees, riding their horses home having sold all their wood. The wood was carried in the crooks on the sides of the horses

Sheep farming, shepherd with crook working sheepdog on flock of sheep in pasture, Devon, England, August

Ring-a-RIng -- children dancing
Ring-a-rIng of little boys, Ring-a-rIng of girls; All around - all around, Twists and twirls... 1885

France - Chasseurs Alpins
The Chasseurs Alpins (English: Alpine Hunters) are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. Date: circa 1912

Calamity Jane, notorious frontier character, General Crooks scout

Will Crooks, Labour MP
Will Crooks (1852-1921) was a socialist politician who grew up in the Poplar district of East London where his family spent some time in a workhouse

Will Crooks / Postcard
Will Crooks Labour Mp

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"Crooks: A Tale of Timeless Deception and Justice" Step into the intriguing world of crooks, where stories unfold across centuries. From the bustling streets of Cockney Blacksmith in 1932 to the serene Nativity at Night in 1640, these captivating hints paint a vivid picture. In a Mille fleurs tapestry fragment, we witness a shepherd and shepherdess entangled in an enigmatic dance or perhaps a lady and youth lost in forbidden love. Meanwhile, St Bernard Crushing a Demon reminds us that even amidst darkness, there is always hope for redemption. A police officer's triumph over a habitual criminal comes alive through an engraving from Punch magazine in 1869. The pursuit of justice knows no bounds as Anselm ascends to become Archbishop of Canterbury by William II's decree in 1093. St Patrick emerges from history's pages with vibrant colors, immortalized by Currier & Ives' hand-colored engraving circa 1860. And within Children and a Cow painted between 1635-39 on wood, innocence intertwines with rural simplicity. The allure of music echoes through time as His Masters Voice records grace the cover of December 1934 catalogue. Yet not all tales are harmonious; Truth "Chamber of Horrors" lithograph reveals society's darkest secrets hidden behind closed doors. Amongst these narratives stands Will Crooks himself—a figure captured forever in color lithography—his legacy intertwined with the very essence of this word: crook. Finally, Joseph Cast into the Pit by his Brethren serves as an eternal reminder that betrayal can shape destinies just as much as it shatters them. Crooks transcend eras—they embody both cunning deceit and relentless pursuit for truth. Through artistry and historical accounts alike, their stories continue to captivate our imagination while reminding us that justice will ultimately prevail against all odds.