François dit Francis. 38 ans, né le 3/12/55 à Reims (Marne). Ébéniste. Anarchiste. 5/3/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon created this mugshot, "François dit Francis," in 1894 using photography, a relatively new technology at the time, to classify and track individuals within the criminal justice system. Bertillon’s method, known as "bertillonage," combined precise physical measurements with photography. The albumen print, made from a glass negative, was a standardized way to record visual information. The sepia tones give the image a sense of the past, but also speak to the clinical, scientific intentions behind its creation. Notice the careful inscription of the subject's name, profession as an ebeniste, or cabinet maker, and political affiliation as an anarchist. As a craftsman, François would have worked with his hands, shaping and forming materials into functional objects. But here, his identity is reduced to a set of data points, part of a system aimed at controlling and managing the population. This mugshot, therefore, serves as a potent reminder of the power dynamics inherent in systems of surveillance and control, challenging the traditional boundaries between art, science, and social order.