Robyns. Émile. 36 ans, né à Lumone (Belgique). Marchand de Pierres (?). Anarchiste. 28/2/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon made this mugshot of Émile Robyns in France, in 1894. The photograph is part of a larger series developed within the French carceral system. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied anthropological techniques to law enforcement. This image is not simply a portrait; it's a tool of social control. Bertillon’s system of "anthropometry" sought to identify repeat offenders through a series of body measurements, recorded on the card below the photo. It represents the late 19th-century obsession with cataloging and controlling populations, particularly those deemed 'deviant'. The subject, Robyns, is identified as an anarchist, a label carrying heavy political weight at a time of widespread social unrest. The institutional context of the prison and the social context of political radicalism shaped the production of this image. Understanding this artwork requires archival research into the history of criminology, photography, and political movements in France.