#bertillion

In 1886, the French government faced a delightful problem. The centenary of the Revolution was approaching, and Paris — host of four world’s fairs already — needed to outdo itself entirely. A competition was launched for a centrepiece that would announce France’s industrial genius to every nation on Earth. The winning design had to be, the committee decreed, an original masterpiece of metal. More…

This lecture we were exploring the theories of Allan Sekula’s writing on The Body and The Archive. Exploring ideas such as photography threatens hierarchy (bourgeois society), photography introduced cheaper, faster andmore reliable medium, more liberal medium, which was available for working class society. 

Carte de Visite - was the first small photographs that were used as the business card, face recognition start of higher security, more control, Napolean III increased the popularity of the Carte de Visite in 1859. The poses were striking, they mimicked, classical, prideful poses inspired by the painting. 1844, Henry Talbot, William (The Pencil of Nature) introduced the idea of Photographic painting, the photographic objects that would capture evidence, that would be used in court. (”Double edged functional photography’’). Erific: pushing people up the diagram, hierarchy ‘’carte de visite’’, repressive function: pushing people down, documenting evidence - two functions of photography in 19th century. Photography is a part of the biological and political and social control ( Put people where they belong ). 

Physiognomy: a study of the physical form (face) the study of the face features that would be used to characterizes - the person. Phrenology: a study of skull, Brain being the only organ that would consistute human psychology. (skull adapts to the size of your brain, depicting its individuality) By measuring the skull, you calculate the data about your self ( ex. compassion, empathy, morality, honesty...) Phrenological analyses of the society and looks of people used additionally to recognize racial appearances. White middle class man wanted to elevate their status and prosperity even more, providing evidence for their intelligence and individual importance. Photography was used for that purposes. The standards of beauty and disability applies in 19th century - charts were used to define you as a person by the appearance that you carry. 

Realism vs. Nominalism

Are general types something real? something existent? Realists: yes they are. Nominalists: no they are not, they mere names. The distinction between realism and nominalism is given on expression in the work of Alpone Bertillion (nominalist practice) and Francis Galton (realist practice) 

Bertillion, utilized photography for criminal evidence. ‘’ Rural poor that created agrarian crises’’. Bertillion, determinate the way to eliminate repeated crime, photography used for identification. Increased government control (created the concept of the mugshot) used systematic ‘’average appearance’’ side to place to identify and locate the criminal. ‘’average man’’. Phrenological analyses almost used for individual recognition double mugshot taken, to identify the structure of the skull, which is unclassible through the years in comparison to the appearance that could be adjustable. 

mug shots @ the Met

ca. 1901-08, [Album of Paris Crime Scenes], Attributed to Alphonse Bertillon