Damalix. Émile, Auguste. 37 ans, né à St-Claude (Doubs). Charpentier. Anarchiste. 19/3/94. 1894

This photograph was made in 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon, using a process called gelatin silver printing. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher, who pioneered the use of photography for criminal identification. The gelatin silver process involves coating paper with light-sensitive silver halide crystals suspended in gelatin. When exposed to light, the silver halides are reduced to metallic silver, creating a negative image, which is then used to make a positive print. This process yields images with fine detail and a wide tonal range. What makes this photograph interesting, is that it is not a portrait in the traditional sense. It is a tool of state power, designed to classify and control individuals. The subject, Émile, is identified not just by his name, but also by his profession as a carpenter, and his political affiliation as an anarchist. Bertillon’s photograph reminds us that even the most seemingly objective technologies can be used to reinforce social hierarchies and exert control over the working class. Ultimately, the act of ‘making’ this photograph, and the ‘making’ of its subject’s identity, cannot be separated.