Fischter. Joseph. 47 ans, né à Paris Ve. Imprimeur sur papiers-peints. Anarchiste. 4/3/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon took this photograph of Joseph Fischter, a 47-year-old anarchist, in Paris on March 4, 1894. Bertillon, a pioneer of forensic photography, captures Fischter's likeness with the stark neutrality of the camera, yet symbols of identity and ideology still surface. Consider the bow tie. It seems innocuous, yet the tie, like the hangman's noose, is a knot—a symbol fraught with historical weight. Throughout the ages, knots have signified bonds, agreements, and inescapable fates. Think of the Gordian Knot, an emblem of insoluble problems. The simple act of tying transforms a piece of fabric into a potent symbol, resonating with collective anxieties and unspoken fears. And as it is tied, the symbol of the noose evolves, resurfacing as a mark of formality. The symbol's evolution is cyclical, influenced by society's fears, and yet it appears innocuous, and shifts depending on who looks at it.