Notation of Scars, Schematic Drawings

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, French criminologist Alphonse Bert revolutionized police work with his pioneering system of *bertillonage*, a precursor to modern fingerprinting that relied on precise body measurements, photographs, and detailed notations of identifying marks like scars. *Notation of Scars, Drawings* (ca. 1893) exemplifies this method through two albumen silver prints mounted together: a larger portrait view and a smaller schematic diagram highlighting a man's facial scars. These intimate, clinical images capture not just a face, but a forensic blueprint designed for criminal identification. Albumen silver prints, the dominant photographic medium of the era, provided exceptional clarity and tonal range on paper coated with egg whites, making them ideal for Bertillon's meticulous documentation. Produced for the Paris Prefecture of Police, these works bridged art and science, transforming photography from portraiture into a tool of justice. Displayed today in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Photographs department, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the origins of forensic imaging, underscoring how Bertillon's innovations influenced global law enforcement and the evolution of evidentiary photography.

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 ...