Peticolin. Henri. 23 ans, né le 8/6/71 à Goersdorf (Bas-Rhin). Vernisseur. Anarchiste. 2/7/94.
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
2005.100.375.332
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, French forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon revolutionized criminal identification with his "anthropometric system," combining precise body measurements with standardized photographs. This 1894 albumen silver print from a glass negative captures Henri Peticolin, a 23-year-old varnisher (vernisseur) from Goersdorf in Alsace, labeled as an "anarchiste." Shot on July 2, 1894, amid France's turbulent "Age of Anarchist Outrages"—a wave of bombings and political violence—the small portrait (10.5 x 7 cm) exemplifies Bertillon's meticulous mugshot format, typically featuring f...
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 ...