Pierre. Joseph, Adrien. 42 ans, né à Rouen (Seine-Inférieure). Canneleur de chaises. Anarchiste. 12/3/94. 1894

This mugshot was created in France on March 12th, 1894, by Alphonse Bertillon using photography and paper. Its somber sepia tones and symmetrical composition are immediately striking, evoking a sense of cold detachment. The subject, identified as Pierre Joseph, a chair caner and anarchist, stares directly at the viewer. His gaze, framed by the rigid structure of the photograph, challenges any romantic notions of criminality. Bertillon’s system of identification sought to categorize and control, turning the individual into a set of measurable data points. The photograph's texture, a result of the period's photographic processes, adds another layer to its meaning. The coarse grain and slight imperfections contrast sharply with the smooth, idealized portraits of the time, further dehumanizing the subject. This mugshot thus becomes more than a record of a single individual; it is a reflection on the power of the state to define and categorize its citizens. The gaze and identity remain, forever captured within this formal, yet unsettling framework.