Twee aanzichten van een menselijke kaak, en profil en bovenaanzicht before 1869

This is a photograph of a book page showing two views of a human jaw, made at an unknown time by an anonymous photographer. The image, labeled "La Seine aux âges anté-historiques," speaks to the 19th-century scientific fascination with origins, and the emerging field of paleontology. During this period, institutions like natural history museums and universities played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of human history. This image, with its stark presentation and scientific labeling, reflects the positivist approach of the time, aiming to classify and understand the natural world through observation and documentation. The term 'prognathe' is a now-antiquated concept from racial science. To fully understand this image, one might consult the archives of scientific institutions, publications on the history of anthropology, and studies of 19th-century photography. The image’s power resides not just in the object it depicts, but in the social and institutional context that gave it meaning.