Alphonse Bertillon

circa 1890

This is a photograph by Alphonse Bertillon. He was a policeman in France who introduced the the identification of criminals based on physical measurements, head body markings, ie. scars, tatoos, personal characteristics. This is called anthropometry.

It was later replaced by finger printing.

I found this photograph interesting. I liked the exactness of measuring all of the body, this clinical and pratical way of dealing with the human form.