The Pear Nibbler

My latest assemblage for your viewing entertainment...
THE PEAR NIBBLER
The inspiration for this piece was from an old 1893 “mug shot”, featuring a notorious, hardened criminal, 23 month old François Bertillon, who was caught nibbling all the pears from a basket.
While this may look like a girl, little boys used to have long hair and were kept in dresses while they were young back in the 1800’s. The dress part was for convenience before they were potty trained, the hair was considered youthful and baby cute.
This mug shot is adorable, but it is also remarkable as a historical artifact: it is one of those rare objects that documents a part of history while also giving us a glimpse into the life and personality of its creator, the father of young François, Alphonse Bertillon. Alphonse was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who was responsible for standardizing the modern mug shot. (Fun fact: the profile shot was included because Bertillon thought our ear shape might become a unique identifier, in the days before fingerprinting).
Capturing a lighthearted moment in his life and relationship with his son, this photograph brings Bertillon to life as a real man and a father. One can’t help but look at this photograph and imagine the exchange between naughty son and bemused father, perhaps as he worked on inventing mug shots in his workshop one afternoon.
Mug shots have become one of the most iconic, recognizable photographic forms in the 20th century; this image is special because it infuses this relic of visual culture with the personal history of its inventor.
I have embellished the story a bit, creating the WANTED/REWARD picture frame, and the nibbled pears, with teeth added, and an expression from one of the pears that reads “It wasn’t me.” There is an old 1800’s baby shoe that may have been the type that François would have worn in his attempted get away.

This mug shot is adorable, but it is also remarkable as a historical artifact: it is one of those rare objects that documents a part of history while
also giving us a glimpse into the life and personality of its creator, the father of young François, Alphonse Bertillon. Alphonse was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who was responsible for standardizing the modern mug shot. (Fun fact: the profile shot was included because Bertillon thought our ear shape might become a unique identifier, in the days before fingerprinting).
Capturing a lighthearted moment in his life and relationship with his son, this photograph brings Bertillon to life as a real man and a father. One can’t help but look at this photograph and imagine the exchange between naughty son and bemused father, perhaps as he worked on inventing mug shots in his workshop one afternoon.
Mug shots have become one of the most iconic, recognizable photographic forms in the 20th century; this image is special because it infuses this relic of visual culture with the personal history of its inventor.
I have embellished the story a bit, creating the WANTED/REWARD picture frame, and the nibbled pears, with teeth added, and an expression from one of the pears that reads “It wasn’t me.” There is an old 1800’s baby shoe that may have been the type that François would have worn in his attempted get away.