Schaeffer. Ignace. 42 ans, né à Berheim (Bas-Rhin) le 31/10/51. Ébéniste. Anarchiste. 2/7/94. 1894

Editor: Here we have Alphonse Bertillon's gelatin silver print, "Schaeffer. Ignace. 42 ans, né à Berheim…", created in 1894. It’s a mugshot, really. It feels incredibly stark and immediate. What stories do you think a piece like this can tell us? Curator: This portrait, seemingly a simple mugshot, unveils a powerful commentary on identity and social control. Bertillon was standardizing criminal identification using photography and anthropometry, right when anarchism became associated with bombings and terror. The subject’s occupation – ébéniste, or cabinet maker – and declared anarchist status, invite us to consider how class and political beliefs were criminalized. Editor: So you’re saying the image is loaded with implicit biases about the subject’s socio-political standing? Curator: Precisely. Consider the power dynamics at play. Who is taking the photograph, and why? How might this photograph have shaped perceptions and reinforced societal anxieties about marginalized groups? Think about Foucault’s ideas of the Panopticon. The very act of documentation is a tool of power, influencing and controlling the narrative of those deemed “other.” Do you notice anything in his expression, his clothing? Editor: There’s a directness to his gaze. He doesn’t look ashamed. And he's dressed respectably in a suit, which seems to contradict any pre-conceived notions of a disreputable anarchist. Curator: Exactly! Bertillon created a system to classify and control, but individual defiance can still be perceived through the cracks. In what ways do contemporary image practices perpetuate or challenge these power dynamics? Editor: I guess I had only seen this photograph at face value. Now, thinking about power, bias, and individual resistance, I realize it's a window into a very specific and politically charged moment in history. Curator: It is, and hopefully this conversation helps reveal just how many layers a single portrait can contain.