Cluzel. Louis. 30 ans, né le 31/8/63 à Bourg-Argental (Loire). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 2/7/94. 1894

This albumen print, mounted on card, was made by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894. It’s a mugshot of Louis Cluzel, a thirty-year-old tailor and anarchist. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher. He pioneered “portrait parlé,” a system of identification based on precise body measurements and standardized photography, now known as the mugshot. This photograph shows Cluzel in a dark coat, white shirt and bow tie. The sepia tones are a result of the albumen printing process, which involves coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. The print’s material qualities underscore its function as a tool of social control. Bertillon's system turned human subjects into data points, a stark example of how industrial-era technologies could be used to classify and manage populations. By focusing on the means of production, we can understand how photography became implicated in broader systems of power and surveillance. The photograph's purpose transcends its aesthetic qualities, highlighting the deep connections between art, technology, and social order.