The individualization of the human is very hard thing from the ages. People had done or invented certain ways for the proper individualization of the person. The Bertillon System is the first anthropological technique for individualization invented by Sir Bertillon. This PPT contains the content mainly from the history to the decline of the Bertillon system. And the center point of the PPT is the Portrait Parle or Bertillonage.

1. PPT by :-
Giriraj Singh Shaktawat
girirajsinghshaktawat@gmail.com
B.Sc (Forensic Science)
Portrait
Parle
(Bertillon System)
Topic:-

2. INTRODUCTION
HISTORY OF PORTRAIT PARLE
CATEGORIZATION
TRAITS USED IN SYSTEM
ADVANCEMENT OF BERTILLONAGE
BERTILLON CARD
BERTILLONOAGE IN INDIA
DECLINE OF BERTILLONAGE
FORENSIC SIGNIFICANCE

3. PORTRAIT PARLE:
These two French words mean “speaking likeness”.
Verbal description of physical characteristics of the
subject.
It is based on the Bertillon method of criminal
identification by measurements of the human body.

4. To recognize individuals who were repeatedly arrested,
Bertillon developed means by which portraits could be
sorted by common morphological characteristics.
This classification is known as the “portrait
parlé” or spoken portrait.

5. • In 1882, Alphonse Bertillon, also called “Father of Scientific
Detection” said that anthropology could be used in the recognisation
and identification of criminals.
• 11 skeleton measurments for indentification.
Alphonse Bertillon
• (1853-1914)

6. • His classification provided a basis for modern recall system that
would aid the artist in producing sketches.
• Made for identification aid for recognition of local prisoners but
later it obtaining description of unknown suspects also.
• Observation states, human bone structure absolutely fixed by the age
of 20.

7. • The portrait parle system also known as Bertillonage.
• No opppertunity till 1882 for validation of system.
• After 3 month trial period, he was able to identify a repeat offender by
proving that the man, who had just been caught on the scene of theft,
had indeed been arrested sometime before.
Despite using a false identity, the criminal was betrayed
by his own body measurements and quickly confessed.

8. It describes under four category-
Determination of colour :- Eye, Beard , Skin colour.
Morphological determination :- Size , Shape & Direction of the different
parts of the body.
General determination :- Language, Voice, Dress etc.
Description of incredible marks:- Scare Marks , tattoo marks.

9. • Eyelash length
• Mouth size
• Lip thickness
• Nose size
• Nose shape
• Nostril shape
• Earlobe attachment
• Ear pits
• Hairy ears
• Cheek freckles
• Forehead freckles
• Widow’s peak
• Gender
• Face shape
• Chin shape
• Skin color
• Hair type
• Hair colour
• Color of eyebrows
• Eyebrow thickness
• Eyebrow placement
• Eye color
• Eye’s distance apart
• Eye size
• Eye shape

10. • Widow’s peak (a)Natural (b) Hair Style

12. Whereas the anthropometric system made it possible to
distinguish between two distinct individuals.
It did not bring irrefutable proof of an individual’s identity.
While not fully managing to fix this major flaw, Bertillon designed
an incremental physical description card also called the Bertillon card,
comprising of four areas:
 Anthropometry- a field he enriched with new topological descriptions
of ear, nose and iris.
 An incremental- a detailed physical description method which formed
the basis of portrait parle.

13.  Photographic description- which he continually enhanced by
defining a general protocol for face.
 An inventory and precise mapping of all specific marks to be
found on the body- scars, tattoos, moles and the like.

14. Some marks develop due to the kind of occupation performed by an
individual. Some examples are given below:
Tailor: marks of pin pricks.
Dish washer: hands are rough, soddy and bigger in shape due to
continuous exposure to water.
Truck driver: Corns on palm.

15. The Bertillon card included two
photographs, one face-on and one in
profile.
• Attitude
• Voice
• Language
• Habiliments
• Hair growth pattern
• Eyebrows
• Eyeballs and orbit
• Mouth
• Neck
The Bertillon card included spaces for description of the prisoner’s.
• Eyes
• Ear
• Lips
• Beard
• Hair color
• Skin color
• Ethnicity
• Forehead
• Nose
• Chin
• Inclination of shoulders

17. • The Koenigstein-Ravachol affair made headlines all over Europe,
added luster to Bertillon’s fame, and spread the adoption of
anthropometry to other nations. In 1892, India became the first
country outside of France to adopt bertillonage nationwide.
• Five years later, during which time 2,50,000 Indians were measured.

18. Portrait Parle for Ravachol

19. The “portrait parle” method remained prestigious for quite a
while, as it was believed that experienced police officers were able to
draw on it to “identify with certainty a suspect who mingled with the
crowd”.
However telegraphic transmission of data was difficult-
despite the invention of several dedicated codes- and no agreement
was ever reached on the universal terminology, which proved fatal to
the portrait parle, whose use gradually declined in the inter war
period.

20. The complexity of the Bertillon system- the very
thing that provided it with such accurate and
reliable data- also proved to be its downfall: it was
simply too cumbersome with sufficient accuracy.
A fingerprint is a physical sign that cannot
be falsified or disguised, and the mathematical
likelihood of two individuals having identical
fingerprints is infinitely small.

21. Helpful in individualization among suspects.
Can establish connection between evidence & suspect.
It can narrow down the examination by having traits value.
Examiner can have standard of individual for matching.
It made the categorization easy.