Handrock. Frédéric(k). Vilhem. 34 ans, né à Lyeck (Allemagne). Doreur sur bois. Anarchiste. 2/3/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon captured this mugshot of Frédéric Handrock, a 34-year-old anarchist and wood gilder, in 1894. Note Handrock's gaze; it invites a reading beyond mere criminal record. Consider the mustache, for instance. Throughout history, facial hair has signaled virility, wisdom, and even rebellion. Think of the ancient Assyrian kings with their meticulously curled beards, symbols of power and divine favor. Yet, in Handrock's time, the mustache might signify something more subversive, a quiet defiance of bourgeois norms, aligning with anarchist ideals. The photograph, therefore, is a visual palimpsest. The formal pose, a product of Bertillon's scientific approach to identifying criminals, contrasts with the subtle cues of Handrock's identity, creating a tension that resonates across time. What hidden stories, what forgotten rebellions, do such images evoke from the depths of our cultural memory? The past whispers to us, if we know how to listen.