Damalix. Émile, Auguste. 37 ans, né à St-Claude (Doubs). Charpentier. Anarchiste. 19/3/94.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon criminal identification with his anthropometric system, combining precise body measurements with standardized photography. This 1894 albumen silver print a glass negative captures Émile Auguste Damalix a 37-year-old born in St-Claude (Dou), labeled simply as "Anarchiste (Anarchist). March 19, 1894, the small portrait (10.5 x 7 cm) exemplifies Bertillon's meticulous mugshot technique, used by the Paris Prefecture of Police to catalog suspects amid France's turbulent era of social unrest. The image emerges from a time of heightened anarchist activity in France, marked by bombings and "propaganda of the deed" following events like the 1893 Vaillant bombing. Bertillon's method—featuring full-face and profile views alongside personal details—preceded fingerprints, offering a scientific veneer to policing. As both artist and innovator, Bertillon elevated photography from mere documentation to evidentiary art, with the albumen's rich tonal depth preserving stark, unyielding realism. Today, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this piece transcends criminology to highlight photography's role in social history, inviting reflection on identity, surveillance, and the human stories behind labels.

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 ...