Cana. Eugène, Louis. 22 ans, né à Paris Vllle. Monteur en bronze. Anarchiste. 2/3/94. 1894

Curator: Alphonse Bertillon's gelatin silver print, "Cana. Eugène, Louis. 22 ans, né à Paris Vllle. Monteur en bronze. Anarchiste. 2/3/94," made in 1894, captures the subject in stark detail. What is your initial read? Editor: A profound sense of resignation pervades this image. His eyes, though fixed forward, hold a certain vulnerability, a quiet acceptance of his fate. The sepia tones only amplify the solemn mood. Curator: Indeed. The print, part of Bertillon's larger project to standardize criminal identification, hinges on objectivity. Consider the flattening effect of the direct lighting and the frontal pose. There's a conscious effort to eliminate artistic interpretation in favor of scientific documentation. The writing just beneath his figure emphasizes his identity, as labeled by the authorities. Editor: But the humanity refuses to be entirely erased. The very details you mention—the stark light, the frontal pose—become elements that inadvertently underscore his individual experience within a system designed to categorize and dehumanize. We can even gather details about his economic status from his somewhat worn blazer and visible button-down. What's more, that Bertillon felt the need to add “anarchiste” betrays the political anxieties of the time. Curator: A valid point. The inscription undeniably infuses a layer of societal prejudice. However, it also highlights the photograph's function as a signifier within a specific framework of law and order. Observe how Bertillon employs the photographic medium to serve the state’s interest in surveillance and control. Editor: Absolutely, the piece lays bare the complex intersections of identity, politics, and power. The subject, Eugène, becomes both an individual and a symbol—a representation of the era's social anxieties and the state's methods of control. It makes one consider how such photographic archives implicate our contemporary modes of data collection. Curator: Precisely. The brilliance of Bertillon's photograph is how it unveils these interwoven concepts, making us contemplate the role of art in recording, reinforcing, and possibly questioning societal structures. Editor: For me, this piece offers a chilling meditation on the individual versus the system. I’m left pondering questions about social justice and the legacy of surveillance today.