309. Ochart. Alphonse. 37 ans, né le 24/1/56 à Asbruch (Nord). Fabricant de chaussures. Anarchiste. 22/1/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon created this mugshot photograph of Alphonse Ochart on January 22, 1894. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied anthropological techniques to law enforcement. This portrait is more than just an identification tool; it's a window into the anxieties of late 19th-century France. Ochart, identified as an anarchist, was part of a movement challenging the established order. The photograph captures him, a 37-year-old shoe manufacturer from the North, at a moment of subjugation. Bertillon's system sought to quantify and categorize individuals, reflecting a societal urge to control perceived threats to the status quo. Consider the emotional weight of this image. Ochart's gaze confronts the viewer, challenging the dehumanization inherent in the photographic process. The mugshot, in its starkness, encapsulates the tension between individual identity and state power.