Bouchenez. Adolphe. 36 ans, 27/2/94. (En rouge barrant la fiche: "Transféré à Mazas. À faire extraire"). 1894

This is Alphonse Bertillon’s, "Bouchenez. Adolphe. 36 ans, 27/2/94," a mugshot photograph mounted on card. Alphonse Bertillon, a French police officer and biometrics researcher, created this portrait as part of his identification system, "Bertillonage," which used a combination of physical measurements and photography to identify repeat offenders. Here, we see Adolphe Bouchenez, a man reduced to a set of data and a photographic image, stripped of his individuality. The gaze is direct, almost confrontational. This photograph raises profound questions about power, identity, and the gaze. Bertillon’s system was intended to bring order and control to a rapidly changing society, yet it also served to dehumanize individuals. Consider the implications of reducing a person to a series of measurements and a photograph. What does it mean to be defined by the state? How does this impact our understanding of identity and individuality? Bertillon’s image is a stark reminder of the ways in which power can be exercised through the lens of a camera.