Bocquet. Alexandre, Émile. 17 ans, né à Paris XVlle. Menuisier. Vol. Fiché le 14/4/94.
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
10.5 x 7 x 0.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3/16 in.) each
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.375.56
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant albumen silver print from a glass negative, created by Alphonse Bertillon in 189, captures the face of Alexandre Émile Boc, a 17-year-old carpenter from Paris's 17th arrondissement, documented for theft on April 14. Measuring just 10.5 x 7 cm, this small yet stark portrait is part of Bertillon's pioneering forensic photography system, known as *bertillonage*. As chief of the Identification Service at Paris's Prefecture of Police, Bertillon revolutionized criminal identification by combining precise body measurements with standardized mugshots—full-face and profile views taken against a scaled background for accurate scaling. Bertillon's technique marked a shift from sketchy descriptions to scientific precision, influencing global policing until fingerprints superseded it in the early 20th century. Though utilitarian, these images possess an unintended artistic power: their clinical detachment and intimate scale evoke the humanity of their subjects, turning anonymous criminals into haunting portraits. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this photograph bridges photography's dual roles as tool of justice and medium of revelation, offering visitors a window into fin-de-siècle France's gritty underbelly. Today, Bertillon's work is celebrated not just for its historical role in criminology but for its raw aesthetic—sharp details from the albumen process lending a timeless intensity. Imagine a young man's fleeting moment of scrutiny, preserved forever.
About the Artist
Alphonse Bertillon · 1853–1914
Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914) was a pioneering French photographer whose work revolutionized forensic documentation, transforming police identification into a precise visual science. Born in Paris on April 22, 1853, he was the son of medical professor and statistician Louis-Adolphe Bertillon and the younger brother of demographer Jacques Bertillon. Lacking formal higher education after expulsion ...