Dumont. Henri, Victor. 29 ans, né à Issy (Seine). Mécanicien. Anarchiste. 8/3/94. 1894

This mugshot of Henri Victor Dumont was taken in 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon, the French police officer and biometrics researcher. Dumont was 29 years old, a mechanic, and an anarchist, during a period of intense political upheaval. Bertillon pioneered the “speaking portrait,” or mugshot, as a tool to identify and track criminals. His method, known as Bertillonage, combined photography with standardized measurements of the body. This system was deeply rooted in the era’s obsession with categorizing and controlling populations, particularly those deemed “deviant”. The cool and clinical gaze of the camera transforms Dumont into a subject of state surveillance, stripping him of his individuality and reducing him to a set of data points. The image speaks to broader themes of power, identity, and the societal construction of criminality. Consider how this image captures not just a face, but a moment in history when the rise of scientific methods intersected with political anxieties. How does it make you feel?