Dupuy. Edmond, Adolphe. 29 ans, né à Paris XIVe. Employé de commerce. Anarchiste. 1/3/94. 1894

This mugshot of Edmond Dupuy, a 29-year-old anarchist, was produced by Alphonse Bertillon in Paris, in 1894. The photographic print is mounted on card, with annotations that record his personal details. Photography, still a relatively new medium at this time, was rapidly becoming a tool of social control, used to classify and manage populations. The “Bertillonage” system, pioneered by Alphonse Bertillon himself, combined photography with anthropometric measurements, meticulously documenting physical features for identification purposes. This process sought to standardize and quantify human identity. The image's stark, frontal pose and meticulous record-keeping reflect the industrialization of identity. By focusing on the materiality and production of this mugshot, we see how photography was harnessed to reinforce systems of power and surveillance. This challenges traditional notions of portraiture, reminding us that art can be deeply intertwined with social and political forces.