Toesca. Calixte. 28 ans, Tour de Breuil (Alpes-Mar.). Étudiant en médecine. Association de malfaiteurs. 27/2/94 1894

This photographic portrait is part of a series of mugshots created by Alphonse Bertillon, a French criminologist who developed the first systematic method of criminal identification. Known as anthropometry, this system used detailed physical measurements to differentiate individuals. The mugshot, taken in 1894, depicts Calixte Toesca, a 28-year-old medical student from the Alpes-Maritimes region of France who was convicted of belonging to a criminal gang. Bertillon's innovative approach to criminal identification had a profound impact on law enforcement and forensic science. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York houses this intriguing piece of photographic history, offering a glimpse into the early days of forensic science and the practice of criminal identification.