Naudet. Gervais. 40 ans, né à Echaleau (Côte-d'Or). Menuisier. Anarchiste. 10/3/94.
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
2005.100.375.305
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon revolutionized police work with his "anthropometric system," a method of criminal identification combining precise body measurements with standardized photographs. This intimate albumen silver print from a glass negative, dated 1894, capturesais Naudet, a 40-year-old carpenter from Echaleau in Côte-d'Or, labeled simply as an "Anarchiste." Measuring just 10.5 x 7 cm, it exemplifies Bertillon's mugshot format—typically a frontal and profile view—designed for meticulous documentation rather than artistic flourish. Created amid Fra...
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 ...