As criminal wanted posters go, the description of William 'Daftie' McDonald in 1890 is pretty precise.

According to Aberdeenshire Constabulary, the well-known thief nicknamed "Daftie" robbed a poor farmer in the village of Tarland of 17 £5 banknotes and six £1 banknotes.

As the police description and carefully sketched profile picture goes, Daftie was about 55 years of age, had dark brown hair, a fair complexion and "full whiskers", including a beard and moustache.

He also had scars on his calf, above his ankle, the "letter D on his ribs" and a scar on his chin.

Police chief constable John Ross also knew he "walked lame" and preferred port wine to whisky, leaving little left to the imagination.

He was apparently last seen wearing a yellowish tweed jacket and short leather leggings.

We do not yet know if the whiskery villain was ever caught but before Crimewatch and the photo-fit, police 'wanted' posters like old Dafties were a common sight throughout Scotland.

Displayed in towns and cities across the country, they covered a multitude of cases from petty theft and missing dogs to stolen motor vehicles and violent crimes.

The extensive records of Grampian Police held by Aberdeen City Council's Unesco-recognised archive contains a large number of these compelling items.

Now, an exhibition featuring many of these posters has gone on show at Seventeen on Belmont Street in Aberdeen until February 28, with more to see in the cafe of the Belmont Filmhouse.

It draws on a collection which, instead of being thrown away, has been gathered at police stations in Dufftown, Elgin and Aberdeen over many years.

Several posters related to notorious cases of murder, including that committed by Dr Crippen who was hanged in London 1910.

Hawley Crippen, the doctor found guilty of the gruesome murder of his wife Cora, is one of the most infamous killers in British history.

Crippen rose to infamy by allegedly poisoning and dismembering his wife, hiding her remains under a basement floor in London and fleeing for North America with his lover - and then being the first person to be caught using the wireless telegraph.

During the Scotland Yard chase to solve the crime, many posters asking for information about the murder were put up across Britain, including this reward poster kept by Grampian Police.

It offered a £250 reward for information about the case.

The murderer caught the interest of the nation and his waxwork went on to be included in Madame Tussauds.

To this day his descendants have claimed, alongside several forensic scientists, that they are convinced of his innocence.

Their campaign to have him posthumously pardoned has so far been declined by the Court of Appeal.

Another infamous murder case unveiled in the Aberdeen archives is of a more local nature, involving a death in Lhanbryde in Moray.

Labourer Joseph Hume, 25, was wanted in connection with the murder of road contractor John Smith and was being hunted by Elginshire constabulary.

An ex-soldier, Hume was eventually caught, found guilty and sentenced to death in 1908.

His was the last execution to take place in Inverness and one of only six in Scotland in the first decade of the 20th century.

Another gruesome and tragic case was that of Marie Jane Morrison, a lady from Edinburgh who was found dead in a field in the outskirts of the city.

According to police, Marie's body had been found near to the Braid Hills.

Two bloodhounds were sent there to trace her murderer and managed to pick up a scent that descended into the valley and "twice crossed a stream east of the Hermitage".

Police said her death was due to "manual strangulation" and that she had last been seen walking with a man "with a thick dark moustache" before she was found.

Not all posters were for wanted criminals though, others included pleas for help in the search for missing people, especially for vulnerable children.

This poster, signed by chief constable D. Dewar in 1895, asked for public aid in the search for missing Newport boy John Doctor.

Aged 12, he was the son of a manufacturer and had last been seen dressed in a grey tweed knickerbocker suit and grey cap with a white collar and lacing boots, or brown canvas shoes.

He was described as "well educated", of smart appearance and "good address" with no previous disposition to wander.

His parents were reported to be "at a loss" and he was thought to have only had a few shillings in his pocket.

Police also posted notices of missing animals too, including this 1919 call for information regarding the sudden disappearance of "Billy" the bulldog.

Described as a "very valuable" white dog with a black spot on the middle of his back, Billy vanished from Logie House in Dunphail.

A reward was offered for his safe return.

Interesting robberies also include the wanted poster for William the baker in Edinburgh, who allegedly stole a silver plate, and domestic servant Elizabeth Hogg, of "stout build" with a flower in her hat, who apparently nicked a lady's bicycle.

Some of the rare artefacts also include police wanted posters for criminals sought throughout Britain who may have been on the run for crimes committed elsewhere.

One such case was the high-profile murder of two police officers in London in 1910 during an attempted arrest of jewel thieves.

The gang, which included two "Russian anarchists", are said to have feloniously broken into the Exchange Buildings in London and killed the officers who tried to prevent them.

One man was described as a locksmith wearing a trilby hat, another with "a sallow complexion" and moustache, accompanied by one woman of slim build with "fairly full breasts".

A reward of £500, approximately £40,000 in today's money, was offered for information that would lead to their arrest.

"The posters are a fascinating social document and each hints at an intriguing story," says Aberdeen councillor Marie Boulton.

"In the days before social media they were one of the principal ways in which information about suspects, lost property or missing persons was disseminated and their short-term purpose meant that the posters were often disposed of after the case had been solved.

"Many are quite rare and they offer a fascinating insight into crimes of the past."

The exhibition complements Granite Noir, Aberdeen's first book festival dedicated to crime fiction which runs from February 24 to February 26.

"Over three days the festival will look at the enduring appeal of stories that plunge us into the heart of darkness," Marie adds.

"Where morality is ambiguous, motives complicated, and even heroes harbour devastating secrets."

The posters are now on show at Seventeen on Belmont Street until February 28, with more to see in the cafe of the Belmont Filmhouse.