Bertillon Measurements

You've probably heard of the Bertillon System, one of those discredited "scientific" theories detailing how body measurements indicated racial and/or criminal aspects of a person.

Well, here's how the NYC Police Department went about securing Bertillon measurements, circa 1908--courtesy of the George Bain Collection at the Library of Congress.

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Comments

People with shor legs are killers! Killers, I tell ya!

Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 02/06/09 at 12:28 PM

Dare I mention the Chattanooga ladies as living proof of this oft maligned science?

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 02/06/09 at 12:35 PM

Looks like that guy is getting measured for his cross.

Posted by Madd Maxx on 02/06/09 at 12:36 PM

Sorry kingmonkey, I've always felt ladies with long legs are killer.

Posted by DownCrisis on 02/06/09 at 12:36 PM

Cougar Allen--perhaps it's wrong to tar Bertillon with all the subsequent sins of anthropometry. Let's just say his work was perverted, then, for such purposes.

Posted by Paul on 02/06/09 at 01:02 PM

Sounds like this was a good way of determining repeat offenders. Before fingerprints they didn't have much else to rely on.

Posted by Madd Maxx on 02/06/09 at 01:06 PM

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