Segard. Philogone. 44 ans (35 ans inscrit sur la photo), né à Salond (Somme). Journaliste. Anarchiste. 1891 - 1895

This is an albumen print of Segard Philogone, made in France by Alphonse Bertillon. Segard, a 44-year-old journalist and anarchist, stares directly at the camera, his gaze steady and perhaps defiant. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who developed a system of anthropometry, or scientific measurements of the human body, for identifying criminals. This photograph is part of a series documenting individuals arrested or otherwise associated with the French penal system. In a time of increasing social anxieties and political unrest, Bertillon’s system was seen as a way to control and classify individuals deemed dangerous to society. The mugshot became a tool of state power, fixing the subject within a system of surveillance and control. By studying police archives, court records, and other historical sources, we can begin to understand the social and political context in which this image was made, and the ways in which it reflects broader anxieties about crime, social order, and the role of the state.