Godard. Armand, Alexandre. 18 ans, né le 11/3/75 à Paris XVIIe. Électricien. Cris séditieux. 6/1/94. 1894

Curator: This gelatin-silver print, titled "Godard. Armand, Alexandre. 18 ans, né le 11/3/75 à Paris XVIIe. Électricien. Cris séditieux. 6/1/94," was produced in 1894. Editor: Even without knowing its background, I’m immediately struck by the intense, almost haunting gaze of the subject. The limited tonal range of the silver print adds a timeless quality. Curator: Indeed. The artist, Alphonse Bertillon, pioneered forensic photography. These portraits, while seemingly straightforward, played a critical role in developing methods of criminal identification in late 19th-century Paris. Editor: The starkness emphasizes his individuality even as he’s subjected to systematic cataloging. Notice how the flat lighting removes all romanticism. The frontal pose is so devoid of expression. Curator: That's right. The subject, identified as Armand Alexandre Godard, an 18-year-old electrician, was presumably arrested for seditious cries. This work reveals how photography was becoming an instrument of social control. Editor: And in this application, it’s truly detached. There's an attempt at scientific objectivity. It seems almost cruel but incredibly powerful in its intent, though. The markings on the photograph – the numbers, the name – serve as labels, stripping the man of his humanity, reducing him to data. Curator: These photographic methods and classification systems speak volumes about the fears and anxieties around crime, immigration, and the social order of the time. Editor: It becomes something more significant through Bertillon's method, achieving, against the odds, real presence and impact by denying artistic intention. Curator: Bertillon created these photographs for functional reasons. That speaks powerfully about our assumptions of photography as an aesthetic medium and a method for the state control and social order. Editor: It certainly pushes one to contemplate the diverse functions inherent within portraiture as both documentation and artifice.