Mauroy. Alfred, Édouard. 34 ans, né à Paris VIIe. Dessinateur. Anarchiste. 26/2/94. 1894

This photograph of Alfred Édouard Mauroy, a 34-year-old draughtsman and anarchist, was made in France on February 26th, 1894, by Alphonse Bertillon. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied anthropological techniques to law enforcement, creating an identification system based on physical measurements. This image, seemingly a straightforward portrait, speaks volumes about the anxieties of its time. The late 19th century in France was a period of intense social and political upheaval, and anarchism was viewed as a dangerous threat to the established order. Bertillon’s photographic archive, conceived within the Parisian police system, represents an early effort to visually categorize and control those deemed ‘deviant’. The mugshot aesthetic – the stark lighting, the subject’s direct gaze – is less about individual identity and more about social control. Understanding art like this requires delving into police archives, historical records, and the writings of contemporary social critics. The meaning of an image is always contingent on its historical context and the institutions that shape its production and reception.