Carraglia. Charles. 39 ans, né à Moceto (It). Homme de lettres. Anar, infraction à la loi du 21/6/73. 13/3/94.
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
10.5 x 7 x 0.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3/16 in.) each
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.375.89
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant albumen silver print from a glass negative captures Charles Carraglia, a39-year-old Italian-born of letters arrested on March 13, 1894, for violating France's law of June 21, 1873—likely tied to restrictions on anarchist activities or press freedoms. Created by Alphonse Bertillon, pioneering French forensic photographer, the image is a classic example of his "anthropometric" mugshot system, featuring precise frontal and profile views with meticulous measurements. At just 10.5 x 7 cm, these small photographs were tools of identification in an era before fingerprints dominated poli...
About the Artist
Alphonse Bertillon · 1853–1914
Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914) was a pioneering French photographer whose work revolutionized forensic documentation, transforming police identification into a precise visual science. Born in Paris on April 22, 1853, he was the son of medical professor and statistician Louis-Adolphe Bertillon and the younger brother of demographer Jacques Bertillon. Lacking formal higher education after expulsion ...