Maurin. Émile, Auguste. 31 ans, né à Marseille (Bouche du Rhône). Ex photographe. Anarchiste. 2/7/94.

Art Historical Context

This poignant portrait, captured by Alphonse Bert in 1894, Émile Auguste Maurin a 31-year-old photographer from Marseille identified as an "anarchiste." Titled with meticulous detail—age, birthplace, profession, and arrest date (July 2, 1894)—it exemplifies Bertillon's pioneering work in forensic photography. As the inventor of the anthropometric system, Bertillon revolutionized criminal identification in late 19th-century France, using standardized mugshots and measurements to catalog suspects before fingerprints became standard. Created as an albumen silver print from a glass negative, the small 10.5 x 7 cm image (one of a series) showcases the era's photographic precision: sharp details and tonal richness that preserved every facial feature for identification. During a turbulent period of anarchist unrest in Paris—marked by bombings and political repression—this photograph humanizes a figure from the radical fringe, blending artistry with science. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, it invites reflection on the intersection of portraiture, surveillance, and social history, reminding us how images once confined to police files now illuminate the human stories behind the 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 ...