Anceau. Aimé-Firmin. 20 ans, né le 18/2/74 à Paris XIIe. Sculpteur sur bois. Anarchiste. 17/7/94. 1894

This is Alphonse Bertillon’s 1894 mugshot of Anceau. Aimé-Firmin, a 20 year old wood sculptor and anarchist living in Paris. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who pioneered the use of photographic identification, what he called “speaking portraits.” This image exists at the nexus of identity, power, and social control. The photograph strips Anceau of his humanity, reducing him to a set of measurable traits defined by the state. As a young artist and anarchist, Anceau would have been seen as a threat to the established order. This mugshot becomes a tool for the surveillance and possible repression of dissent, reflecting the complex relationship between the individual and the state, particularly in times of social and political upheaval. The photograph serves as both a historical document and a stark reminder of the ways in which identity can be constructed, manipulated, and weaponized by those in positions of authority. In this image, Anceau's gaze is direct, confronting us, urging us to reflect on the human cost of social control.