David. Armand, Auguste. 27 ans, né à Gien (Loiret). Faïencier. Anarchiste. 1/3/94. 1894

Editor: This is "David. Armand, Auguste. 27 ans, né à Gien (Loiret). Faïencier. Anarchiste. 1/3/94.," a photograph taken in 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon, currently residing here at the Met. There’s something strikingly direct about his gaze; he seems caught between defiance and vulnerability. What strikes you when you look at this, I guess 'mugshot,' Curator? Curator: Ah, yes, another resident of Bertillon's gallery of rogues. To me, it whispers tales of societal upheaval, you know? Here's a man labeled an 'anarchist,' frozen in time. His ruffled hair and slightly askew bowtie contrast sharply with the rigid structure of the photographic process. Do you sense a kind of… rebellious spirit fighting against the constraints of the frame itself? Editor: I do see that contrast. The softness of his expression, mixed with the stern label underneath, creates a push and pull. Was Bertillon trying to expose something about Armand, or merely catalog him? Curator: Good question! Bertillon was attempting to create a system of identification and control. But aren't photographs treacherous objects? I imagine David looking at this picture himself and what emotions are evoked. He stares, a ghost in a machine, resisting, persisting. And what about the photograph now? It is both evidence and memory. Editor: So, in a way, Armand's 'rebellious spirit' is co-opted into something entirely different through this photographic method. It’s fascinating how a portrait meant for control can be so expressive. Curator: Precisely! The act of seeing becomes a dance of intentions, blurring lines between order and chaos, freedom and control, truth and fiction. This image becomes more powerful when one ponders these ideas.