Ortiz. Léon. 25 ans, né à Paris. Commis d'architecte. Anarchiste. Voyage ordinairement en bicyclette. 1894

This is an albumen print, a photographic process popular in the 19th century, created by Alphonse Bertillon. The process involved coating paper with albumen, derived from egg whites, and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate, before printing from a glass negative. The sepia tones and soft focus give the image a distinctive warmth, yet the effect here is clinical. Bertillon developed this technique for forensic use, standardizing mugshots to aid in criminal identification. Note the stark lighting, the subject’s direct gaze, and the meticulous record-keeping in the inscription. It's fascinating to consider how the precise, scientific approach of photography was applied in the service of social control. Bertillon's method, while innovative, also reflects the anxieties of a rapidly changing society, as people like the cycling anarchist Léon Ortiz were brought into focus. This intersection of art, science, and social context reveals the complex layers of meaning embedded within this object.