Chatel. Charles. 25 ans, né le 8/10/68 à Paris XVIIle. Anarchiste. 14/3/94. 1894

This albumen silver print, made in 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon, captures Charles Chatel, a 25-year-old anarchist, in Paris. Photography, as a process, was quickly evolving at this time, becoming increasingly standardized and industrialized. Bertillon was a pioneer in applying photography to law enforcement, developing the "portrait parlé" – a precise method of documenting individuals for identification. This photograph's material qualities, the sepia tones and the paper's texture, speak to the era's photographic techniques. It's crucial to remember that this image was produced as part of a system, a means of categorizing and controlling individuals deemed threats to the social order. The very act of photographing Chatel, labeling him, and archiving his image reflects a social context of surveillance and power. Understanding photography's role as a tool of social control allows us to look beyond the surface of the image, recognizing the complex interplay between technology, labor, politics, and the construction of identity.