FACE to FACEFACE to FACEPhysiognomy and Mug Shots

Defined

o Physiognomy: theory based upon the idea that the assessment of a person's outer appearance (primarily the face) may give insights into their character or personality. The term physiognomy can also refer to the general appearance of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics.

Earliest History of Physiognomy

Key Scientists

o Johann Kaspar Lavater

o Petrus Camper

o Cesare Lombroso

Lavater

An exact relationship exists between the soul and the body,

between the internal and the external of a man…the infinite variety of the souls or internal

nature of a man creates an infinite variety in his body or externality...If such differences do exist then they

must be recognizable they must also be the basis for an exact

science.

“

”

Lavater

• Work was influential to art during the 18th century

• Wrote Essays on Physiognomy for the Promotion of the Knowledge and the Love of Mankind– Discussed principles concerning the

shape of the human face and head– Extremely successful and was reprinted

for hundreds of years in all of Europe

Silhouettes

• Cut paper silhouettes began in 18th century France and were very fashionable worldwide before photography

Silhouettes

• Lavater made character assessments of individuals using profile silhouettes.

• He created a special chair to hold sitters still while their shadow was traced

Promoting the Love of Mankind

• Eventually published The Pocket Lavater which had a sampling of profiles to help one judge people on-the-go

Assessments by Lavater

Fig. 3. A good head cannot be mistaken, not even in shade. Conceal

the under part and leave only the nose and forehead visible and signs

of attention, love of order and certainty are apparent. The forehead, altogether, is too perpendicular for a

productive mind.

Assessments by Lavater

Fig. 5. A noble forehead, a miracle of purity, the love of order, I might say, the

love of light. Such the nose, such is all.

Assessments by Lavater

Fig. 1. Much is to be learnt from this shade. Takes little, gives much’ this is particularly conspicuous in the too round outline of the lips, which is most defective. The upper part of the forehead is something curtailed; otherwise this countenance is refined, discreet, capable of talents, taste, wit and morals.

Four Temperaments

Sanguine Melancholy

Phlegmatic Choleric

Camper

It was important to Camper to distinguish black men anatomically from the apes and show that they were genuine human beings, not a missing link in the evolutionary chain.

Camper

• Aside from being a monogenist, he was also a painter

• Invented the facial angle

Lombroso

Famous for applying these theories of physiognomy to

criminals.

• Before fingerprinting, criminals were assessed by measurements of the body and documentation of facial characteristics.

• Lombroso introduced psychological evaluation in conjunction

Lombroso

• “Born” criminal

• Criminals are more primitive humans, having ape-like features

• Stigmata

The Criminal Man

• Some examples of stigmata:– Deviation in head size from the common– Asymmetry of the face– Eye defects and peculiarities– Ears of unusual size– Nose twisted, upturned, or flattened in thieves, or

curved or break-line in murderers– Lips fleshy and swollen– Pouches in the cheek like some animals– Abundance, variety and precocity of wrinkles– Excessive length of arms– Supernumerary fingers and toes

Unfortunately…

• Lombroso’s ideas were very influential in the police and judicial systems of Europe.

• Some judges up until the 1930’s ordered ‘lombrosian’ anthropometric analyses of defendants in criminal charges

• Lombroso seemingly wanted his experiments to bring about the humane treatment of criminals

“It would be immoral for the law to seek retribution from those who were biologically

incapable of restraining from anti-social behavior”

Aftermath• Did not start out as a racist science,

but easy to see how it became one.• People began believing difference

was more than “skin deep”• Ugly=Barbarian• Beauty= Most Civilized• Example: Nazis using measurements

of skull to determine Aryan features• People feel the need to back up

things they can’t understand

Defined

o Mug shot: A photograph taken of the head and shoulders, often from the front and in profile, usually taken in conjunction with somebody's arrest.

• Invented in the 19th century by Allan Pinkerton, a famous U.S. detective

• Mug shots were first used in “Wanted” posters

• Police originally wanted to use portraits to classify criminals

• In comparison to the carte-de-visite portraits police mug shots seemed truer

• In keeping with Lombroso, measurements of body parts were paired with the portrait

• Alphonse Bertillon–Organized a way to use mug shots

effectively and regularly–Bertillon style of mug shot is still used

today– Later ordered profiles be taken of

possible criminals

• Criminals would try to distort their faces to devalue the portrait

“Special Portraits”

• Around 100,000 negatives taken by Australian police photographers have been recovered

• Within these were classic Bertillonnage style shots but also “special portraits” of prisoners

Final Thought

Mug shots capture people at their lowest or most vulnerable. Regrettably we are forced to calculate their guilt or innocence.

Celebrity Mug Shots

George Carlin1972, disorderly conduct

Hugh Grant1995, lewd conduct in a public place with a

prostitute

Lindsay Lohan2007, DUI and possession of cocaine

Elvis Presley1970, taken just for fun (Elvis had a thing for law

enforcement)

Heidi Fleiss2008, DUI and possession

Rip Torn2004, DUI

Christian Slater1994, bringing a gun into JFK Airport

Bill Gates1975, speeding and driving without a

license

Mel Gibson2006, DUI

Jane Fonda1970, disturbing the peace and possession

Michael Jackson2003, charged with seven counts of child

molestation

Larry King1971, grand larceny

Frank Sinatra1938, charged with adultery and

seduction

Vince Vaughn 2001, fighting in public

Haley Joel Osment

2006, I see drunk people…