Mangin. Edmond, Émile. 33 ans, né le 19/3/61 à Senon (Meuse). Cimentier. Anarchiste. 8/7/94.

Art Historical Context

This poignant portrait, titled *Mangin. Edmond, Émile 33 ans, né le 19/3/61 à Senon (Meuse). Cimentier. Anarchiste. 8/7/94*, captures Edmond Émile Mangin, a 33-year-old cement worker from northeastern France, labeled as an anarchist. Created by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894, it exemplifies the pioneering work of this French forensic photographer and criminologist. Bertillon the anthropometric system—known as "Bertillonage"—to identify criminals through precise measurements and standardized photographs, revolutionizing police work in an era before fingerprints dominated. Taken amid France's turbulent "Age of Anarchism," when bombings and social unrest led to crackdowns on radicals, this image reflects the stark reality of political repression. Mangin's direct gaze and meticulous documentation humanize a man reduced to labels: profession, birthplace, and ideology. The albumen silver print from a glass negative, measuring just 10.5 x 7 cm, showcases 19th-century photography's exquisite detail and rich tonal gradations, blending scientific precision with unintended artistic intimacy. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this small yet powerful work highlights photography's dual role as tool of justice and mirror of society, inviting us to ponder the faces behind history's upheavals.

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 ...