I think it is very likely that the platform has wheels underneath because the platform does not completely meet the floor. There appears to be about an 1/4 inch clearance. The bolts may just act as stoppers to keep the platform from moving much. Based on the scratch marks on the floor that appear to form in curves or circles, I’m guessing that platform was moved around frequently, either on purpose or by accident. I cannot tell if the chairs have wheels, but the supports do not appear to be high enough off the floor to have wheels. Nevertheless, maybe the scars in the floors are due to the chairs. It is definitely a well-used floor badly in need of resurfacing.

Are the windows on the right leading to the outside or merely making activities visible between multiple rooms? The depth of the window boxes means either that the windows lead to the outside or are located in main supporting walls of the building. The door in the foreground on the right appears to be closing in a box of some sort which has windows. As part of the box, directly visible through the door window is a sill running perpendicular from the wall to meet the door frame. This section appears to contain another window because that section of glass is getting reflections from multiple directions. Is this box big enough to glass-in just one or two people or an entire jury, for example?

The wall at the back is only 3/4 or 4/5th’s high and appears to divide another area where another chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Perhaps it was added after the building was in use? Why does the chandelier in the middle of the room have globes covering the light bulbs but the chandelier in the back is globeless? Back then light bulbs were prone to exploding and the globes would provide protection. I’m not even sure the chandelier in the back is turned on, but if it is lit the bulbs are not providing that much light. It also appears that the photographer’s light is providing more light than the chandelier in the middle of the room. The outline of the bulbs are visible. The light from behind the camera appears to be larger than a simple flash because it spreads across the back of the room fairly well. I would think such a photograph with that kind of lighting would have to lead to a staged situation, not likely a photograph taken impromptu.

As for the gentleman at the back and the telephone (I definitely think it is a telephone), you cannot see his feet/legs through the legs of the men who are masked. Instead, there appears to be a divider with inset wood panels, possibly a work desk or greeting desk. However, there appears to be a pole affixed to the floor, similar to the poles on the moving dais. Could that literally be one pole supporting a horizontal fixed bar in front of a judges bench? On the right side of the left door in the background, there appears to be a hole in the trim on the right side of the doorway. Could this hold a flag, for example? A judges bench would require a flag somewhere. The pole in the front may simply be a holder for a flagpole, as well.

So the masks were used to hide the identity of the detectives. Those not wearing masks must no be part of that department. And, yes, in the book all of the photos of detectives have a gold stamp over their face.

The Maryland Department at the Pratt Library/Maryland’s State Library on Cathedral Street has copies of this book that can be viewed by the public at any time. Ask for this call number: Md. XHV8148.B21M2