Smuggling Collection

Prussia Cove, St Hilary, Cornwall. 1890s
Bessys Cove, also known as Prussia Cove, showing the house of John Carter prior to its demolition in 1906. John Carter was one of Cornwalls most famous smugglers

Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
Jamaica Inn, a Grade II listed building on Bodmin Moor near Bolventor, Cornwall, built as a coaching inn in 1750. Popular with smugglers

Preparations for the Easter (Dublin) Rising of 1916 Mary Spring Rice and Molly Childers on the yacht Asgard bring guns from Germany to the Irish Volunteers, July 1914

Flamborough Head
The North Landing, Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, England; the chalk cliff is riddled with former smuggling caves. Date: 1950s

Smugglers landing their cargo
The sun dispelling a mist, with smugglers landing their cargo

Fire burns part of an estimated 105 tonnes of ivory and a tonne of rhino horn confiscated from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016

WW1 - German anti-British propaganda postcard - Caught and Trapped - a duplicitous British Army Officer is captured by the forces of the Central Powers trying to smuggle a machine gun to his men

Jack Rattenbury, smuggler
Jack or John Rattenbury (1778 - 1844), nicknamed the Rob Roy of the West. Born in Beer, Devonshire, Rattenbury was in turn privateer, fisherman, pressed sailor in the Navy, and smuggler

Godrevy Lighthouse DP140994
Godrevy Lighthouse, Godrevy Island, Gwinear-Gwithian, Cornwall

John Brown and Co. sink British Revenue Cutter Gaspee
The Burning of the " Gaspee". HMS Gaspee a British customs schooner ran aground after being boarded by a group of men led by Abraham Whipple and John Brown, who attacked, boarded

Page from The Graphic entitled Our Coastguard
A page from The Graphic entitled Our Coastguard, detailing the work of smugglers and lifeboat crews in 1892. 1892

French Customs officers X-Ray for smuggled goods 1897

Smugglers on the Swedish westcoast, by Josef Wilhelm Wallander (1821-88) Date: 19th century

Customs inspection with X-rays, World War I
An officer examines a bale of cotton with an X-ray machine to try and detect contraband during World War I in March 1915

Smugglers
BAL33433 Smugglers by Wollen, William Barnes (1857-1936); Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK; English, out of copyright

Middle Street, Deal, Kent, once infamous for its smuggling connections. Date: circa 1950s

Men are handcuffed after they were detained by police during a police anti-illegal drugs operation in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines November 9, 2016. Picture taken November 9, 2016

Dead saffron finch birds are seen in cages, after Peruvian authorities rescued over 500 birds destined for illegal export, in Lima, Peru February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo

Les Brigands romains (The Roman Bandits), 1831. Found in the Collection of Muse e du Louvre, Paris

A rum-running boat caught smuggling in 2000 bottles, USA, 1920s. The sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were banned in the United States under the Eighteenth Amendment

Godrevy Lighthouse DP140993
Godrevy Lighthouse, Godrevy Island, Gwinear-Gwithian, Cornwall

Theatre Villains, The Smuggler, Ideal and Real Date: 1863

Schweizer RG-8B Twin Condor 8103
United States Coast Guard - Schweizer RG-8B Twin Condor 8103, used for covert surveillance of drug smuggling operations. Date: circa 1999

Revenue cutters capturing American smuggling ship
3784416 Revenue cutters capturing American smuggling ship; (add.info.: Revenue cutter capturing an American smuggling vessel, c. 1764)

Smugglers on the March through the Mountains, Austria
7278836 Smugglers on the March through the Mountains, Austria by Unknown Artist, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Smugglers on the March through the Mountains, Austria, Historic)

Consequential decision, after a painting by Dieffenbacher
7279060 Consequential decision, after a painting by Dieffenbacher by Unknown Artist, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Consequential decision, after a painting by Dieffenbacher)

Battle between customs officers and smugglers (colour litho)
2782206 Battle between customs officers and smugglers (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Battle between customs officers and smugglers)

Smugglers towing a boat full of barrels (litho)
7201144 Smugglers towing a boat full of barrels (litho) by Smith, W. Thomas (1865-1936); Private Collection; (add.info.: Running the Gauntlet, smugglers towing a boat full of barrels)

Les contrebandiers. (The Smugglers). Peinture de Alexander Matveyevich Dorogov (1819-1850), huile sur toile, 1845
FIA5377661 Les contrebandiers.(The Smugglers). Peinture de Alexander Matveyevich Dorogov (1819-1850), huile sur toile, 1845. Art russe, 19e siecle. Museum of History and Art, Cherepovets (Russie)

Smuggling at Gibraltar, how the Spanish Revenue Officers are baffled (engraving)
1063082 Smuggling at Gibraltar, how the Spanish Revenue Officers are baffled (engraving) by Durand, Godefroy (1832-1896); Private Collection; (add.info.: Smuggling at Gibraltar)

Polish Smugglers in an Inn on the Russo-German Frontier preparing for an Expedition (engraving)
1041953 Polish Smugglers in an Inn on the Russo-German Frontier preparing for an Expedition (engraving) by Durand, Godefroy (1832-1896); Private Collection; (add.info)

Les hommes minables (The Seedy Men). Description de trois contrebandiers, malfaiteurs discretement a l affut dans une
FIA5381206 Les hommes minables (The Seedy Men). Description de trois contrebandiers, malfaiteurs discretement a l affut dans une barque camouflee parmi les roseaux

Smugglers hiding their contraband in caves (colour litho)
7148174 Smugglers hiding their contraband in caves (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Smugglers hiding their contraband in caves.); © Look and Learn

The Smugglers Cove, 1906. Creator: Donald Shaw MacLaughlan
The Smugglers Cove, 1906

The Smugglers, 1858. Creator: Rodolphe Bresdin
The Smugglers, 1858

Smuggling Out, or Starting for Gretna Green, August 8, 1798. Creator: Heinrich Schutz
Smuggling Out, or Starting for Gretna Green, August 8, 1798

Smuggling In, or A College Trick, August 8, 1810. August 8, 1810. Creator: Heinrich Schutz
Smuggling In, or A College Trick, August 8, 1810

Smuggling In, or A College Trick, August 8, 1798. Creator: Heinrich Schutz
Smuggling In, or A College Trick, August 8, 1798

Marys bar at Jamaica Inn, Bolventor, Cornwall, famous for being associated with Cornish smuggling
6014708 Marys bar at Jamaica Inn, Bolventor, Cornwall, famous for being associated with Cornish smuggling and celebrated in the book of the same name by Daphne Du Maurier (b/w photo)

Smugglers with contraband alcohol in a cave on the tenth anniversary of the introduction of Prohibition in the United
5997330 Smugglers with contraband alcohol in a cave on the tenth anniversary of the introduction of Prohibition in the United States

Le Contrebandier (The Smuggler) (colour litho)
6032225 Le Contrebandier (The Smuggler) (colour litho) by Grenier, F. (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Le Contrebandier (The Smuggler)

Rigging out a Smuggler (litho)
5208503 Rigging out a Smuggler (litho) by Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Rigging out a Smuggler)

The Spanish Smugglers Cave (engraving)
5209609 The Spanish Smugglers Cave (engraving) by Feller, Frank (1848-1908) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Spanish Smugglers Cave)

A Stern Chase, Prussian Excisemen pursuing a Smuggling Ice-Boat on the Russo-German Frontier (litho)
1042729 A Stern Chase, Prussian Excisemen pursuing a Smuggling Ice-Boat on the Russo-German Frontier (litho) by Nash, Joseph (d.1922); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Stern Chase)

Smuggling in the Highlands, the Capture of an Illicit Whisky Still (engraving)
1044490 Smuggling in the Highlands, the Capture of an Illicit Whisky Still (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Smuggling in the Highlands)

Arrest of a Half-Breed Whiskey Smuggler by Canadian Mounted Police (engraving)
1047388 Arrest of a Half-Breed Whiskey Smuggler by Canadian Mounted Police (engraving) by Remington, Frederic (1861-1909) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Unveiling the Secrets of Smuggling: Tales from Prussia Cove to Flamborough Head" Step back in time to the 1890s, where hidden coves and treacherous cliffs along the rugged coast of Cornwall became hotspots for illicit activities. Prussia Cove in St Hilary, Cornwall, was notorious for its smuggling operations that thrived under the cover of darkness. The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor also played a significant role as a hub for these clandestine activities. As preparations were underway for the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin, two daring women named Mary Spring Rice and Molly joined forces with smugglers to transport crucial supplies across treacherous waters. Their bravery knew no bounds as they navigated through perilous seas near Godrevy Lighthouse DP140994. However, not all tales were shrouded in mystery and adventure. A devastating fire once engulfed an estimated 105 tonnes of ivory and a tonne of rhino horn confiscated from illegal trade. This event shed light on the dark underbelly of this criminal enterprise. During World War I, German anti-British propaganda postcards depicted British coastguards struggling to combat smugglers' cunning tactics. These images highlighted how Jack Rattenbury, a renowned smuggler known for his audacity and wit, outsmarted authorities time after time. In another daring incident that shook maritime history, John Brown and Co. , defying authority's grasp sank the British Revenue Cutter Gaspee off Rhode Island's shores during colonial times. The fight against smuggling has always been relentless; even The Graphic dedicated pages entitled "Our Coastguard, " showcasing their tireless efforts to protect coastal borders from contraband goods flowing into our nation's shores. Across borders, French customs officers resorted to X-ray technology to uncover concealed contraband items within luggage or cargo shipments—a constant battle between law enforcement agencies and those seeking to exploit the system.