History of fingerprints
The history of fingerprintes starts in china, when the fist record of the teckneck being used with thumb prints being inprinted in clay. This is the start of the history of fingerprints.
In 14th century Persia, various official government papers
had fingerprints (impressions), and one government official, a doctor, observed
that no two fingerprints were exactly alike.
In 1686, Marcello Malpighi, an anatomy professor at the
University of Bologna, noted in his treatise; ridges, spirals and loops in
fingerprints. He made no mention of their value as a tool for individual
identification. A layer of skin was named after him; "Malpighi" layer, which is
approximately 1.8mm thick.
In 1823, John Evangelist Purkinje, an anatomy professor at
the University of Breslau, published his thesis discussing nine fingerprint
patterns, but he too made no mention of the value of fingerprints for personal
identification.
The English first began using fingerprints in July of 1858,
when Sir William James Herschel, Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in
Jungipoor, India, first used fingerprints on native contracts. On a whim, and
without thought toward personal identification, Herschel had Rajyadhar Konai, a
local businessman, impress his hand print on a contract.
In 1863 Professor Paul-Jean Coulier, of Val-de-Grâce in Paris,
published his observations that (latent) fingerprints can be developed on paper
by iodine fuming, explains how to preserve (fix) such developed impressions and
mentions the potential for identifying suspects' fingerprints by use of a
magnifying glass.
During the 1870s, Dr. Henry Faulds, the British
Surgeon-Superintendent of Tsukiji Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, took up the study
of "skin-furrows" after noticing finger marks on specimens of "prehistoric"
pottery. A learned and industrious man, Dr. Faulds not only recognized the
importance of fingerprints as a means of identification, but devised a method
of classification as well.
In 1882, Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in
New Mexico, used his own thumb print on a document to help prevent forgery.
This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States. Click the
image below to see a larger image of an 1882 receipt issued by Gilbert Thompson
to "Lying Bob" in the amount of 75 dollars.
Alphonse Bertillon, a Clerk in the Prefecture of Police of at Paris, France,
devised a system of classification, known as Anthropometry or the Bertillon
System, using measurements of
parts of the body. Bertillon's system included measurements such as head
length, head width, length of the middle finger, length of the left foot; and
length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
In Mark Twain's book, "Life on the Mississippi", a murderer
was identified by the use of fingerprint identification. In a later book,
"Pudd'n Head Wilson", there was a dramatic court trial on fingerprint
identification. A movie was made from this book in 1916 and a made-for-TV movie
in 1984.
Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist and a cousin of
Charles Darwin, began his observations of fingerprints as a means of
identification in the 1880's.
Juan Vucetich, an Argentine Police Official, began the first
fingerprint files based on Galton pattern types. At first, Vucetich included
the Bertillon System with the files.
Uan Vucetich made the first criminal fingerprint
identification in 1892. He was able to identify Francis Rojas, a woman who
murdered her two sons and cut her own throat in an attempt to place blame on
another. Her bloody print was left on a door post, proving her identity as the
murderer.
Sir Francis Galton published his book, "Fingerprints",
establishing the individuality and permanence of fingerprints. The book
included the first classification system for fingerprints
In 14th century Persia, various official government papers
had fingerprints (impressions), and one government official, a doctor, observed
that no two fingerprints were exactly alike.
In 1686, Marcello Malpighi, an anatomy professor at the
University of Bologna, noted in his treatise; ridges, spirals and loops in
fingerprints. He made no mention of their value as a tool for individual
identification. A layer of skin was named after him; "Malpighi" layer, which is
approximately 1.8mm thick.
In 1823, John Evangelist Purkinje, an anatomy professor at
the University of Breslau, published his thesis discussing nine fingerprint
patterns, but he too made no mention of the value of fingerprints for personal
identification.
The English first began using fingerprints in July of 1858,
when Sir William James Herschel, Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in
Jungipoor, India, first used fingerprints on native contracts. On a whim, and
without thought toward personal identification, Herschel had Rajyadhar Konai, a
local businessman, impress his hand print on a contract.
In 1863 Professor Paul-Jean Coulier, of Val-de-Grâce in Paris,
published his observations that (latent) fingerprints can be developed on paper
by iodine fuming, explains how to preserve (fix) such developed impressions and
mentions the potential for identifying suspects' fingerprints by use of a
magnifying glass.
During the 1870s, Dr. Henry Faulds, the British
Surgeon-Superintendent of Tsukiji Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, took up the study
of "skin-furrows" after noticing finger marks on specimens of "prehistoric"
pottery. A learned and industrious man, Dr. Faulds not only recognized the
importance of fingerprints as a means of identification, but devised a method
of classification as well.
In 1882, Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in
New Mexico, used his own thumb print on a document to help prevent forgery.
This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States. Click the
image below to see a larger image of an 1882 receipt issued by Gilbert Thompson
to "Lying Bob" in the amount of 75 dollars.
Alphonse Bertillon, a Clerk in the Prefecture of Police of at Paris, France,
devised a system of classification, known as Anthropometry or the Bertillon
System, using measurements of
parts of the body. Bertillon's system included measurements such as head
length, head width, length of the middle finger, length of the left foot; and
length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
In Mark Twain's book, "Life on the Mississippi", a murderer
was identified by the use of fingerprint identification. In a later book,
"Pudd'n Head Wilson", there was a dramatic court trial on fingerprint
identification. A movie was made from this book in 1916 and a made-for-TV movie
in 1984.
Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist and a cousin of
Charles Darwin, began his observations of fingerprints as a means of
identification in the 1880's.
Juan Vucetich, an Argentine Police Official, began the first
fingerprint files based on Galton pattern types. At first, Vucetich included
the Bertillon System with the files.
Uan Vucetich made the first criminal fingerprint
identification in 1892. He was able to identify Francis Rojas, a woman who
murdered her two sons and cut her own throat in an attempt to place blame on
another. Her bloody print was left on a door post, proving her identity as the
murderer.
Sir Francis Galton published his book, "Fingerprints",
establishing the individuality and permanence of fingerprints. The book
included the first classification system for fingerprints