Measuring bodies to make them talk, photographing the persons referred: techniques used by the judicial police that we owe to a man, Alphonse Bertillon, creator of the first forensic identity service at the end of the 19th century. It was he who introduced science to the police. An exhibition dedicated to him in Montpellier.
An influence still present today, and in police forces around the world. More than 200 original objects are presented here: photographs, police sources, press articles but also period material. Of course, all these instruments and devices have been modernized today, but the working logic remains the same.
Establishing with certainty “who is who”, photographing and mapping crime scenes, Alphonse Bertillon holds an essential place in the history of knowledge about crime. Knowledge to come and discover until January 22 at Pierresvives in Montpellier.
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