Rodskidski. Eloi, Jean-Baptiste. 37 ans, né à Paris Xlle 13/12/56. Mécanicien. Anarchiste. 2/7/94 1894

This is a mugshot, made by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894. It’s a photographic print, mounted on card. But it’s more than just a portrait. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher, and he pioneered this type of image as a tool of criminal identification. Look at the way the picture is made, it’s a study in objectivity. The drab lighting, the subject facing straight on, the additional information inscribed on the card. This was all part of Bertillon’s system, which also involved careful measurement of the body. His method spread rapidly around the world, as a means of tracking and controlling individuals. Today, photography is so widespread we tend to forget it’s a technology, one that developed in tandem with policing, surveillance, and other systems of power. Bertillon’s mugshot reminds us that even the most apparently neutral image is the product of choices, and that it can have a powerful effect on people’s lives.