Ruaud. Jean-Baptiste. 35 ans, né à Limoges le 28/7/58. Cordonnier. Anarchiste. 4/2/94. 1894

This is a photograph of Jean-Baptiste Ruaud, a 35-year-old anarchist and cobbler from Limoges, France, taken by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894. Bertillon, a French criminologist, developed the Bertillon system, a method of criminal identification using anthropometric measurements. The photograph, part of Bertillon's criminal archive, is a stark portrait typical of mugshots of the era. It features Ruaud, looking directly at the camera, with the date of his arrest, "4/2/94," inscribed at the bottom of the photograph. This particular photograph is a "carte de visite" – a small photograph, printed on card stock, popular in the 19th century. It is a valuable historical artifact that provides a glimpse into the life of a real person, captured by the lens of scientific investigation.