2 S.F.1916-1919 Bertillon Criminal Cards w/Mug Shots William Ettinger

At the end of the 19th century, Alphonse Bertillon created the first police laboratory for the scientific identification of criminals and developed the "anthropometric photo, " with which the accused were inventoried by their measurements and physical markings. The mug shot, as it came to be known, was quickly adopted around the globe, and is today an essential police procedure.This revealing collection presents over 250 mug shots of some of the most infamous suspects in modern history, from mafia bosses to cold-blooded killers, as well as enemies of the state and prominent political activists. From Dreyfus to O.J. Simpson, this international selection includes notables like Lenin, Al Capone, Frank Sinatra, Fidel Castro, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Janis Joplin, Elvis, the Russian Jewish anarchist Emma Goldman, French assassin Raoul Villain, Dutch exotic dancer and spy Mata Hari, Polish war criminal Amon Goeth, and the "Birdman of Alcatraz, " Robert Stroud. Accompanying these gripping images is illuminating commentary that puts both the criminals and their crimes in historical context, and reconstructs some of the most dramatic trials of the 20th century.

Release Date: October 28, 2010

Since Alphonse Bertillon developed the “anthropometric photograph” in 1882, the mug shot has been an essential police procedure around the world. Now available in paperback, Mug Shots presents more than 250 booking photos spanning the history of this practice—the faces of mafia bosses and cold-blooded killers, as well as enemies of the state and prominent political activists.   On display in this international selection are notorious faces such as Al Capone, Fidel Castro, O. J. Simpson, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz, ” as well as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jane Fonda. Accompanying these gripping images is an illuminating commentary that puts both the criminals and their crimes in historical context, reconstructing some of the most dramatic events of the 20th century.