Deliège. Nicolas, François. 19 ans, né à Ixelles (Belgique). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94. 1894

Curator: Here we have a photographic portrait from 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon. The piece is titled "Deliège. Nicolas, François. 19 ans, né à Ixelles (Belgique). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94." It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: There's an arresting stillness in this image, even haunting. The soft sepia tones give it the feel of unearthed memory, as though it's emerged from the distant past to confront us. Curator: It is quite powerful. Bertillon developed a system called "Bertillonage," a technique using anthropometric photography and other measurements to identify repeat offenders. You might recognize it by its later designation, the "mugshot." But here, the individual—labelled as Deliège—is presented with surprising candor, devoid of sensationalism. Editor: The material qualities speak volumes. The photographic emulsion itself looks delicate. You can almost feel the paper it’s printed on—must have been finely textured. It reminds us that even in systems of control, there is evidence of human skill and materiality in producing them. This image marks a moment of technical, bureaucratic evolution. Curator: Indeed. There's something incredibly human captured within these confines. Note how Bertillon meticulously documented not only his physical features but also his profession and even his stated political ideology: an anarchist, at that! The portrait resonates with both individual character and collective historical circumstances. Editor: His profession – a tailor – feels important, and the vest and coat point to class. There's the tension between handcrafted, artisanal identity and industrialized observation here too, where one becomes classified, numbered, filed… a tension made all the starker given his politics. Curator: Exactly. By including "anarchist," Bertillon inadvertently acknowledged a political identity outside the system of classification, imbuing the picture with unforeseen layers of defiance. Editor: It makes me consider the labor conditions present in that moment, and how Bertillon's role here is not separate from the social, class struggles of the era—it's actually totally interwoven with them. Curator: This photo, with its directness and its careful documentation, offers insight into an individual life marked by very precise circumstances. Editor: Agreed, looking closer helps peel back layers of ideology, and reminds me to question all visible artifacts—images included!