Grid of 18 black and white images, organized in three columns that read: frontales, intersourcilieres, and diverses. Each picture has one person in each frame. The far left column depicts close ups of forehead wrinkles and eye expressions under the column 'frontales.' In the center column titled 'intersourcilieres,' there are closeups of the upper half of the face including forehead, eyes and nose bridges. Under 'diverses,' there are close ups and side profiles of ears, mouths and noses and throats. At the top of the image is the word 'Ride' written like a title at the top. The bottom text video caption reads, 'Bertillon is known as the father of mug shot. He compiled photographs of facial details, used to identity suspects.'

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Video, A History of Facial Measurement

This is a Video. It was designed by Jessica Helfand. Its medium is video. It is a part of the department.

Judging a person's character from their facial features has a long history, linked to racial stereotypes and criminal profiling. For centures, artists and scientists have measured and codified facial features. These practices often serve ideologies of white racial superiority and the belief that moral character is written on the face and skull.

Jessica Helfand is a designer, writer, and historian. She is a founding editor of Design Observer and the author of numerous books on design and cultural criticism. Her latest book is Face: A Visual Odyssey (MIT Press, 2019).

It is credited Courtesy of Jessica Helfand.