Chapin. Armand, Louis. 30 ans, né à Épeigné (Indre & Loire). Charron. Anarchiste. 1/3/94. 1894

This is an albumen print of Louis Armand Chapin, made in France on March 1st, 1894, by Alphonse Bertillon. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied his scientific approach to the task of identifying criminals. This image is an early example of the mugshot, taken as part of the ‘Bertillonage’ identification system. The subject is identified not only by image, but also by name, age, profession, and place of birth, and crucially, his political affiliation: anarchist. In fin-de-siècle France, anarchism was viewed as a significant threat to social order. It is no coincidence that Bertillon worked for the Paris police. The photograph functions as a tool of surveillance and control, reflecting anxieties about social unrest and the perceived dangers of radical political ideologies. To understand the significance of an image like this, we must research the cultural and political context in which it was made, and the institutional forces that shaped its creation and use.