Broggio. (Roche), Bernard. 39 ans, né en Italie. Journalier. Association de malfaiteurs. 22/3/94. 1894

This mugshot was created in France in 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon. It is a photographic print, mounted on card. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied the emerging science of photography to the task of identifying criminals. This image is a product of Bertillon's 'anthropometric' system. Inscribed below the image is 'Association de Malfaiteurs': in other words, the crime of criminal association. The inscription and the mugshot are both means of categorizing and labeling Broggio. The photograph's unblinking stare attempts to reveal the inner nature of the criminal type. Bertillon's mugshots reflect anxieties about social order at a time of rapid urbanization and industrialization. They also speak to the increasing power of institutions, like the police and the state, to classify and control populations. In this sense, Bertillon's photographs offer a fascinating glimpse into the social and institutional history of crime and punishment. Historical research into such archives allows us to better understand the politics of imagery.