Special Photograph no. 572. A picture of Sidney Grant (alias 'Pretty Sid') appears in the 'Criminal Photographs' section of the New South Wales Police Gazette, 2 May 1923 captioned 'Confidence man (notes for gold)'. In his landmark sociologicalwork, The Big Con (first published in 1940) David Maurer describes a con trick known as "the hot-seat", then being practiced in Europe by "such masters of their profession as Pretty Sid, Snowy T-, Kangaroo John, Melbourne Murray, Devil's Island Eddie, SlabB[rennan] ..." It was not unusual then for the most accomplished Australian con artists to seek fresh fields in Britain, Europe (especially France) and North America, where their skills were held in high regard by fellow professionals.
Titled "Mug shot of Sidney "Pretty Sid" Grant, 11 October 1921, location unknown."
Source: Sydney Living Museum (Justice & Police Museum).
