Pivier. Alexandre. 53 ans, né à Rochevan (Savoie). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 7/3/94.
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
2005.100.375.339
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1894, pioneering forensic photographer Alphonse Bertillon captured this stark portrait of Alexandre Pivier, a 53-year-old tailor ("tailleur d'habits") from Rochevan in the Savoy region of France, labeled simply as an "anarchiste." Produced as an albumen silver print from a glass negative, the small 10.5 x 7 cm image exemplifies Bertillon's revolutionary "anthropometric system," or Bertillonage. This method standardized criminal identification through precise measurements, full-face and profile mugshots, and meticulous documentation—hallmarks of early scientific photography that bridged art ...
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 ...