Dejoux. Jules. 46 ans, né le 16/6/48 à La Châtre (Indre). Maçon. Délit de presse. 2/7/94. 1894

This is a mugshot by Alphonse Bertillon made in France in 1894 using the new technology of photography. It depicts Jules Dejoux, a 46-year-old mason, arrested for a "press offense". Bertillon was a pioneer of forensic science, developing a system of anthropometry to identify criminals. This photograph is not just a record of an individual, but an artifact of a broader shift in the way society understood and controlled its citizens. In late 19th-century France, anxieties about crime and social order were on the rise. Institutions like the police and the courts were developing new tools and techniques to monitor and manage populations. Photography played a key role in this process, allowing authorities to create a visual archive of criminals. To understand this image fully, we might look at the history of photography, the development of forensic science, and the social and political context of late 19th-century France. We can understand more clearly the role that art played in shaping social perceptions.