Favre. Pierre, Maurice. 29 ans, né le 30/11/64. Ciseleur. Anarchiste. 15/3/94. 1894

This photographic portrait, taken by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894, is part of the infamous mugshot series he developed for criminal identification. Bertillon, a French police officer, pioneered the use of anthropometry, a system for measuring human physical characteristics, to identify criminals. This particular portrait is of Pierre Favre, a 29 year old anarchist and a chiseleur, or engraver, who was arrested on March 15, 1894. The portrait’s austere composition, including the subject’s direct gaze, is characteristic of the mugshot genre. Bertillon's system was widely adopted across the globe, and continues to influence identification practices today.