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.

Books Selected and endorsed for Pure Weirdness by Your WU Team

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

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

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.