Signaletic Instructions: Including the Theory and Practice of Anthropometrical Identification (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Alphonse Bertillon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0265308593 ISBN 13: 9780265308592

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Groundbreaking system for personal identification that aims for unbreakable certainty

This edition explains Bertillon’s signaletic method, a threefold approach to describing a person: precise physical measurements, observable bodily form and movement, and distinctive surface marks. It shows how these descriptions can be stored in files and used to recognize someone again, even if they change their name or appearance.

The book traces how the system spread worldwide—from police stations to prisons—and how it can protect the innocent while aiding the punishment of the guilty. It also covers practical instructions for applying the methods, with updates that include new forms and recent additions to signaletic cards used in Paris.

• The three-part signalment: anthropometric measurements, descriptive morphology, and peculiar marks
• How a signalment enables fast, reliable identification across time and place
• Global use by police, military, banks, and other organizations
• Updated materials, including bi-zygomatic measurements and fingerprints in appendices

Ideal for readers of history, criminology, and forensic science who want a clear view of a pivotal identification system.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0265308593
• ISBN 13: 9780265308592
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 447