Crime and fashion anno 1894

Sporting hat and scarf combinations that are as popular as ever in New York City today. 

  • On November 13,1894, Laura Emelia Isberg, an unmarried 28-year old woman, was arrested for “lösdriveri” (vagrancy) in Stockholm. She had pick-pocketed money from a man. Looking at her mug shot, taken at the police station we were amazed to see how fashion forward Laura Emelia was. Similar hat/scarf combinations are readily available in New York City today, we found one at amazon.com for under $10, with a pom-pom on top just like Laura Emelia’s.
  • Crime and fashion anno 1894
    On November 13th in 1894, Laura Emelia Isberg, an unmarried 28-year old woman, was arrested for “lösdriveri” (vagrancy).
    What brought it about was that basket maker Hed Olof Andersson reported her to the police for theft of his “dalkarlspung” (a sort of wallet), and its contents: 6 SEK (about 90 cents today). It is Stockholmskällan, a website, that has published this story about a woman and a petty crime we’ve probably would have never heard of otherwise.

  • A hat/scarf combination similar to Laura Emelia's - we found this one at www.amazon.com
  • The story was this: According to the police report Hed Olof Andersson had, on Sunday night November 11, invited Laura Emelia and her two friends, stove builder Johan Julius Andersson, 25 years old, and unmarried Olga Matilda Felsman, 32 years old, for beer. First at a café on Brännkyrkagatan 84, later also at another café on Hornsgatan 71. When Hed Olof ran home to Hornsgatan 96-98 to collect more money, Laura Emelia and Johan Julius planned the theft. After the theft, the three friends went to yet another café on Hornsgatan where they enjoyed a good meal. After having paid for the meal, Laura Emelia gave 1 SEK to Johan Julius, and 50 öre to Olga Matilda of the money she had stolen. Later on, when arrested, she admitted she had stolen the money from Hed Olof while “caressing” him, but defended herself that she would have never committed the crime had Johan Julius not asked her to. Laura Emelia Isberg was born in Göteborg, the daughter of a basket maker. For more interesting Stockholm facts check out: www.stockholmskallan.se