Marty. Louis. 20 ans, né à Lacanne (Tarn). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94. 1894

This is an albumen silver print of "Marty. Louis. 20 ans, né à Lacanne (Tarn). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94." by Alphonse Bertillon. The photograph presents a stark frontal view of a young man, his gaze direct and unwavering. The subdued sepia tones and meticulous composition evoke a sense of cool detachment, typical of Bertillon's mugshots for criminal identification. The subject is framed symmetrically, emphasizing a calculated method of capturing a person's identity as a set of measurable, repeatable elements. Bertillon's approach challenges the traditional portrait as a celebration of individuality. Instead, it reduces the person to a set of data points. The photograph, inscribed with identifying marks, functions as a sign within a semiotic system of law and order. It transforms the individual into a mere signifier within the state's machinery. The rigid structure and repetitive nature of this series of images raise questions about power, representation, and the reduction of human complexity to quantifiable data.