Braun. Frédéric, Charles. 28 ans. Fiché le 22/2/94. 1894

This albumen print was made in France by Alphonse Bertillon, the father of modern criminal identification. It shows a man named Frédéric Charles Braun, who was 28 years old when he was added to the police registry in 1894. Bertillon was a meticulous record-keeper. He developed a system called "anthropometry," using precise body measurements to identify repeat offenders. Photography was a key part of this process, offering a seemingly objective way to record a person’s likeness. But consider the labor involved: from the mining of silver for the light-sensitive emulsion, to the darkroom work required to produce the print, to the bureaucratic labor of cataloging and archiving. Every step reflects the growing power of the state to control and classify its citizens. Ultimately, this mugshot is a powerful reminder that even the most seemingly objective technologies are shaped by social and political forces. It challenges the notion of photography as a neutral medium, revealing its role in systems of surveillance and control.