Bringing Bertillon Back: The Preservation and Research Application of Bertillon Materials in Museums, Archives, and Historical Societies

Abstract

Bertillon cards are underutilized resources, often regarded as the remnants of an antiquated nineteenth century police identification system. Through the application of computer search techniques, data manipulation, and outreach, not only can institutions provide their patrons access to this unique information, these collections can in turn help revitalize their respective repositories. This article begins with a brief history of Alphonse Bertillon and his system (Bertillonage). The remainder describes the results from a survey submitted to eleven institutions that hold Bertillon materials and compares their preservation, storage, and accessibility; compiles common research subjects; and examines the added value of technology to these documents.

KEYWORDS:

• Alphonse Bertillon
• Bertillonage
• photographs
• historical research
• genealogy

Notes

1. Henry F. Rhodes, Alphonse Bertillon: Father of Scientific Detection (New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1956), 52–53.

2. Ibid., 62.

3. Ibid., 73.

4. Ibid., 75–77.

5. Alphonse Bertillon, Alphonse Bertillon's Instructions for Taking Descriptions for the Identification of Criminals, and Others by the Means of Anthropometric Indications. (New York: AMS Press Inc., 1977, 1889), 17.

6. Rhodes, Alphonse Bertillon, 82–83.

7. Ibid., 108–109.

8. Bertillon, Alphonse Bertillon's Instructions for Taking Descriptions for the Identification of Criminals, 7–8.

9. Rhodes, Alphonse Bertillon, 82.

10. Ibid., 93.

11. Ibid., 103.

12. Ibid., 156

13. Ibid., 107.

14. Ibid., 162.

15. Peter J. Hutchings, “Modern Forensics: Photography and other Suspects,” Cardozo Studies in Law and Literature 9, no. 2 (1997): 236.

16. J. Grey, “Anthropometric Identification: A New System of Classifying the Records,” Man 5 (1905), 84.

17. Ibid., 86.

18. J. Edgar Hoover, “Criminal Identification,” The American Journal of Police Science 2, no. 1 (January–February, 1931), 9–10.

19. Nigel Morland, An Outline of Scientific Criminology (New York: Philosophical Library, 1950), 48.

20. Jennifer Michael Hecht, The End of the Soul: Scientific Modernity, Atheism, and Anthropology in France (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003).

21. Ibid., 145.

22. William J. Tilstone, Kathleen A. Savage, and Leigh A. Clark, Forensic Science: An Encyclopedia of History, Methods, and Techniques (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006), 19–20.

23. Allan Sekula, “The Body and the Archive,” October 39 (Winter 1986), 19.

24. Ibid., 25.

25. James D. Folts, Head of Reference Services for the New York State Archives E-mail Survey. November 1, 2008.

26. Simon Cole, Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001), 56.

27. Ibid., 58.

28. Ibid., 143.

29. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum, “Organized Crime: ‘The Black Hand,’” 2008, available at http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/inspectors/a4p4.html (accessed August 12, 2008).

30. National Library of Medicine, “Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body: An Online Exhibition for the National Library of Medicine,” available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/visibleproofs/galleries/technologies/bertillon.html (accessed August 11, 2008).

31. “Police Pictures: The Photographs as Evidence,” New York University Gray Art Gallery, Student Exhibition. Available at http://www.nyu.edu/greyart/exhibits/police/html/mug.html (accessed August 23, 2008).

32. Rhodes, Alphonse Bertillon.

33. Nicole Hahn Rafter, “Biological Theories of Crime: A Historical Interview: Searching the Criminal Body: Art/Science/Prejudice,” University Art Museum, State University of New York at Albany. Available at http://www.albany.edu/museum/wwwmuseum/criminal/curator/nicole.html (accessed 12 August 12, 2008).

34. The survey and cover letter were modeled after those created by Tara Zachary Laver for her survey of faculty papers later published in “In A Class By Themselves: Faculty Papers at Research University Archives and Manuscript Repositories,” American Archivist 66, no. 1 (2003): 159–196. I would like to thank Dr. Peter Wosh, current Director of the Archives and Public History Programs at New York University, for bringing attention to this paper and providing input on drafts of both the survey and article.

35. I am grateful for those who took the time to complete and return the surveys. This survey was conducted for use in preparing a paper in order to fulfill final credits toward a master's degree in archives and public history with an emphasis in public history, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New York University.

36. JoAnne Yates, Control Through Communication: The Rise of System in American Management (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1989).

37. Gaylord Brothers Library Supplies, Furniture, & Archival Solutions, “Melinex Envelopes,” available at http://www.gaylordmart.com/adblock.asp?abid=1491&sid=52B4E282D79F46B7B255A4B8D49A75 (accessed August 12, 2008).

38. “Photograph Request Response,” “The Bertillon Card Collection Inventory,” New York City Police Museum, INV: 2008.3.502.3.

39. B. Griffith, “Bertillon Collection Finding Aid,” New York City Police Museum, 2008.

40. New York City Department of Records and Information Services, “Municipal Archives,” available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml (accessed December 10, 2008).

41. Leonora Gidlund, interview, New York City Municipal Archives, July 2008.

42. Ibid.

43. Ibid.

44. Gidland Interview, Active Desktop Homepage, “Photographs, 1889–1956,” New York City Department of Records, Municipal Archives’ Collections, available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/collections/collections_photographs.shtml (accessed July 15, 2008).

45. Stephen Underhill, Bertillon Collection Survey (New York: National Archives & Records Administration, October 2008).

46. Massachusetts Archive, “Mission,” available at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcmis/misidx.htm (accessed December 11, 2008).

47. John Hannigan, Bertillon Collection Survey (Boston, MA: Massachusetts State Archives).

48. Steve Nielsen, Bertillon Collection Survey (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Library, September 2008).

49. Ibid.

50. Minnesota Historical Society Library, “Identification Photograph Cards Catalog Record,” available at http://mnhs.mnpals.net/F/?func=find-c&ccl_term=sys=006220165 (accessed November 22, 2008).

51. Minnesota Historical Society, “St. Paul Police Department Mug Shots,” available at http://www.mnhs.org/collections/upclose/mugshots.htm (accessed September 1, 2008).

52. James D. Folts, Bertillon Collection Survey (Albany, NY: New York State Archives, October 2008).

53. New York State Archives, “Excelsior Online Catalog,” available at http://nysl.nysed.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/MTOEygwehq/ARCHIVES/125160017/60/56/X (accessed August 19, 2008).

54. Folts, Bertillon Collection Survey

55. Jonathan Stayer, Bertillon Collection Survey (Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania State Archives, November 2008).

56. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, “Pennsylvania State Archives: RG-15 Records of the Department of Justice,” available at http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/rg15.htm (accessed November 21, 2008).

57. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, “Bertillon Hand Books 1895–1937,” available at http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/sd/r15sd2.htm#15.52.

58. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, “Records of the Department of Justice: Eastern State Penitentiary Prison Population Records,” available at http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/ys/r15ysd.htm#15.52.

59. Eastern State Penitentiary, “Eastern State Penitentiary Home Page,” available at http://www.easternstate.org/exhibits/index.php (accessed November 15, 2008).

60. Louise Jones, Bertillon Collection Survey, (Columbus, OH: Ohio Historical Society, December 2008).

61. Ibid.

62. San Diego City Clerk/Records Management Office, “Archives Index List (9–2003),” personal e-mail, November 25, 2008.

63. Steve Willard, Vice President of the San Diego Police Historical Association E-mail Survey, December 8, 2008.

64. Ibid.

65. Harry Miller, Bertillon Collection Survey (Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society). Though it can be reasonably assumed that a majority of the collections arrived at any of the state archives for this reason, Miller was the only respondent to indicate it explicitly.

66. Cindy Brown, Bertillon Collection Survey (Cheyenne, WY: Wyoming State Archives, September 2008).

67. Ibid.

68. Ibid.

69. Ibid.