Deherme. Marie, Adolphe. 26 ans, né à Paris XVIIe. Publiciste. Anarchiste. 9/3/94.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon criminal identification with his "anthropometric system," or bertillonage. This 1894 albumen silver print from a glass negative captures Adolphe Marie Deherme a 26-year-old publicist and self-identified anarchist, arrested on March 9. The small, precisely measured portrait (10.5 7 cm) exemplifiesillon's standardized mugshot format: a full-face view with meticulous labeling of the subject's name, age, birthplace, profession, and offense date—tools for police archives during France's turbulent fin-de-siècle era. Bertillon's work emerged amid heightened fears of anarchism, following bombings and assassinations that shook Paris in the 1890s. Deherme's image, part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, blends documentary precision with unintended artistry. The albumen process, prized for its rich tonal depth and fine detail on glass negatives, preserved these stark profiles, influencing modern photography from surveillance to portraiture. Today, this photograph offers a poignant glimpse into social unrest and the birth of forensic imaging, reminding us how art and science intersect in capturing human stories.

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 ...