Tramcourt. Albert. 27 ans, né le 10/12/66 à Creil. Mécanicien. Anarchiste. 15/1/94.
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
2005.100.375.415
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon police identification with his anthropometric system, combining precise body measurements with standardized photographs—early mugshots. This 1894 albumen silver print a glass negative, titled *Tramcourt. Albert 27 ans, né le 10/12/66 à Creil. Mécanicien. Anarch. 15/1/94.*, captures one such subject: Albert, a 27-year-old mechanic fromil labeled an "anarchiste" (anarchist), arrested on January 15, 1894. Measuring just 10.5 x 7 cm, the intimate portrait exemplifies Bertillon's meticulous front and profile views, designed for scien...
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 ...