Perot. Gaston, Auguste. 22 ans, né à Paris XVllle. Journalier. Anarchiste. 4/3/94. 1894

Curator: This is a photograph titled "Perot. Gaston, Auguste. 22 ans, né à Paris XVIIIe. Journalier. Anarchiste. 4/3/94.", taken by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial feeling is one of starkness. The neutral background combined with the subject's somewhat haunted expression creates a potent sense of isolation. It almost feels like a contemporary headshot, save for the sepia tones and stiff collar. Curator: Indeed. Bertillon's images were made for the police, as a way to identify repeat offenders. He standardized the photographic process with specific measurements. Here we can see that documentation extended to adding name, occupation, and declared political leanings—Anarchist. Editor: The symbolism inherent in this photograph is quite powerful. Beyond just identification, this image signifies a moment in history ripe with social and political unrest. "Anarchist" becomes an identity, an emblem worn in the face of power. The fact that such information was recorded is really impactful. It almost assigns a kind of martyrdom. Curator: I would say that such a declaration placed Gaston within the context of his labor. Working-class affiliation to Anarchism wasn't solely symbolic; it expressed aspirations to shift material means, and change established processes and norms. Editor: Yes, his suit almost looks borrowed or ill-fitting, the tie askew, the trappings of respectability clinging uneasily to someone declared an outsider. Curator: The act of documenting this supposed deviation speaks volumes about power, and who has the ability to document the lives of others, doesn't it? What is being documented here, beyond the individual? A kind of pre-emptive pathologizing of an identity. Editor: Ultimately, this single photograph encapsulates so many narratives, extending far beyond the individual and touching upon much larger concepts. Curator: Agreed. Examining Bertillon's image reminds us to consider the societal framework in which objects and humans get labeled.