Closer to home, Leeton is currently hosting the UNDERWORLD: Mugshots from the Roaring Twenties exhibition at the former WCIC building in Chelmsford Place.

The exhibition was opened as part of the recent Australian Art Deco Festival Leeton, but remains open for residents and visitors alike to peruse at their leisure until July.

So, those who missed out over the festival weekend, still have plenty of time to get their fix and view the interesting photographs.

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Leeton Shire Council's marketing and cultural services co-ordinator Suesann Vos encouraged residents to take a walk back in time at the exhibition.

She said on most days there would be coffee and snacks available thanks to a pop up shop by a local coffee shop inside the building.

"We want to get as many people through the door as possible to see this fantastic exhibition and help breathe some life into the WCIC building, which council has taken on," Mrs Vos said.

The unique photographic collection has already garnered international attention, influencing fashion icons, artists, writers and producers, including the late Karl Lagerfeld and the creators of the BBC Television series Peaky Blinders.

The exhibition features over 130 images reproduced from the scanned original glass plate negatives.

Sydney Living Museums executive director Mark Goggin said accompanying the images were the backstories of the suspects revealing criminal activity, networks and some international links.

"The exhibition showcases a significant selection of these amazingly personal criminal portraits from the 'Specials' collection - most images have never been seen by the public," he said.

"These portraits capture humour, defiance, bravado, malevolence and vulnerability - emotions that speak directly to us as we view these incredible photographs.

"Sydney police did things differently in the 1920s - the 'Specials' images are simply like nothing else in existence anywhere in the world."

From serial offender Edward Banbury who stole a police motorbike and rode it all the way to Queensland to Gladys Lowe who was convicted for opium possession, all the mugshots are unusually candid, infused with personality, presence and poignancy.

The Leeton Family and Local History Society and Leeton Pipe Band's also have exhibitions currently on show within the building. They too will remain open for viewing until October.

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