Zes afbeeldingen van het meten van het lichaam en twee meetinstrumenten before 1890

This page, from an anonymous publication, dating probably from the late 19th century, displays images of body measurement and two measuring instruments. It reflects the turn-of-the-century obsession with categorizing and controlling populations, particularly within the framework of Parisian law enforcement. The images reveal a project to classify individuals through precise bodily measurements. This was part of a broader cultural trend in Europe, influenced by scientific positivism and a desire to quantify and understand the human body and mind. Such methods were often used to reinforce existing social hierarchies and prejudices. They were justified through now-discredited theories of scientific racism. The text references Alphonse Bertillon, a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied anthropometry to law enforcement creating an identification system based on physical measurements. A historian might consult police archives, criminological studies, and sociological analyses to understand the full context of this practice. Through attention to social and institutional contexts, we see how scientific ideas can be put in the service of social control.