London: HMSO, 1921

124 issues and 1 supplement, unbound as issued. Some edgewear or tearing at spine to the very occasional copy, but for the most part an extremely well preserved collection of these fragile publications, and in their original condition.

A run of 124 issues of The Police Gazette for the year 1921 (New Series Volume VIII), with a copy of Supplement C (Vol. V No. 36) dated 7 September 1921.

The Police Gazette started life as The Quarterly Pursuit in 1772. It was renamed Hue and Cry in 1828 (in Oliver Twist, Fagin was a devoted reader of Hue and Cry) before settling down as The Police Gazette in 1839.

By 1921 The Police Gazette was published three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It listed ongoing investigations and wanted felons and absconders, accompanied by portraits of missing persons and mugshots of wrong 'uns.

The Police Gazette was only designed to be useful for forty-eight hours, and long runs of issues -- especially, as here, in original unbound condition -- are scarce. This collection -- 124 copies in all, and with an additional supplement issue -- comprises 80% of all issues published in 1921. A far more fascinating read than any fictional police procedural, and with the added attraction of photographs showing what the well-dressed shoplifter was wearing that year.