Robillard. Guillaume, Joseph. 24 ans, né le 17/11/68 à Vaucresson. Fondeur en cuivre. Anarchiste. 2/7/94. 1894

Curator: Looking at this gelatin silver print, what's your immediate reaction? Editor: Intense. There's a disturbing asymmetry in his gaze, one eye staring forward while the other drifts off. Makes me quite uneasy. Curator: Indeed. This is "Robillard. Guillaume, Joseph. 24 ans, né le 17/11/68 à Vaucresson. Fondeur en cuivre. Anarchiste. 2/7/94.," created by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894. It's housed right here at The Met. Bertillon, a French criminologist, pioneered using photography for identification. This isn't just a portrait; it's a mugshot. Editor: A mugshot? Ah, that context shifts everything. The frontal pose, the stark lighting—it all reads differently now. Is that why his expression is so... vacant? It seems he doesn't even have control over the angle of his vision. Curator: Possibly. These images were tools of control, part of a system designed to categorize and manage individuals deemed deviant. Robillard, as the inscription notes, was an anarchist, and such political affiliations were viewed with suspicion by the authorities. He was documented during a period of harsh clamp down on the worker movements across Europe. Editor: It’s stark how those socio-political tensions imprint onto this image. Structurally, I'm struck by the starkness of the grey background, it flattens the depth and the composition places all focus onto Robillard’s face. The mustache is well kept. He seems to care, even though captured. The tie as well gives some sophistication that is in stark contrast with the overall goal of the capture. Curator: The level of forced formality within the anarchic act. What contradictions we are exploring by juxtaposing those realities! His expression suggests resignation more than defiance. This photo offers a glimpse into the era's anxieties about social order. It is haunting that we find such personal detail embedded into a public document. Editor: Absolutely. The gelatin silver print, itself a technological marvel, became an instrument of power. It is thought-provoking indeed, seeing the visual apparatus co-opted as a political apparatus. Curator: An unforgettable image that speaks volumes about identity, control, and the power of photography. Editor: A truly striking artifact, laden with complexities. Thank you for pointing it out to me.