History of Fingerprinting 1 Tim Redmond, MSCJ
Dec 18, 2014
1
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
History of Fingerprinting
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
2
Ancient History Friction ridge skin impressions were used as proof of a
person’s identity in China as early as 300 B.C. In Japan as early as A.D 702 In the United States since 1902
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
3
Chinese Earthenware Earthenware containing fingerprint impressions estimated to
be 6000 years old was found at an archaeological site in northwest China Oldest found to date
Unknown if they were deposited accidentally or with a specific intent.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
4
221 B.C. to A.D 1637 Chinese paper entitled “The Volume of Crime Scene
Investigations-Burglary” from the Qin Dynasty (221-208 B.C) mentions how handprints were used as a type of evidence.
Used in clay impressions on documents and books as author’s signature
After the invention of paper by the Chinese in A.D. 105 it was standard to use handprints or fingerprints on documents
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
5
Japan Enacted a law in A.D. 702 that if a man could not write,
another man could write the document for him after which he would he would sign it with his own index finger.
Indicates that the Japanese had some understanding of the individuality of fingerprints.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
6
India Belief that the use of handprints was adopted by the nobility
in India as a stamp on official documents
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
7
17th and 18th Centuries In 1684 Dr. Nehemiah Grew described in friction ridge skin in
detail. Marked the beginning in the Western Hemisphere of friction ridge
skin observations and characterizations. In 1687 the Italian physiologist, Marcello Malpighi published
a paper of the function, form, and structure of friction ridges. He was also the first person to use the newly invented
microscope for medical studies.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
8
1788 J.C. Mayer a German doctor and anatomist wrote a book
about the uniqueness of friction ridges. Contained drawings of friction ridge patterns
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
9
19th Century Thomas Berwick an English wood engraver and ornithologist
left wood engravings of his fingermark of several wood engravings of birds and other animals between 1809 and 1826. Very detailed engravings Unknown if Berwick understood the value of friction ridge skin for
individualization.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
10
In 1823 Dr. Johannes E. Purkinje, a German university professor wrote a thesis in which he classified fingerprint patterns into nine categories. These became the precursor to the Henry classification system.
German anthropologist, Hermann Welker, wrote on the study of fingerprint permanence. Printed his own hand in 1856 and again in 1897.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
11
1858 Sir William James Hershchel is generally recognized as the
first person to study the persistence of friction ridges. Started while serving as the British Administrator in India
In 1877 after being appointed as a Magistrate in the Calcutta area of India he started recording friction ridges as a means of individualization.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
12
As a Magistrate, Herschel, was able to order the fingerprinting of prisoners, deed registration, and pension payments.
Wrote a letter known as the “Hooghly Letter” to British officials encouraging the use of fingerprints to be expanded to other geographic areas.
Continued the study of friction ridges throughout his lifetime and published a paper on their permanence
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
13
1877 A lecture by Thomas Taylor, a microscopist for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, concerning prints and their application concerning crime solutions when bloody prints were found on a crime scene.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
14
1879 Alphonse Bertilion, a clerk, for the police in Paris, France
started devising a system of body measurements to be used for criminal identification.
Known as Anthropometry Implemented in 1882 Eventually named as the Chief of he Department of Judicial
Identity in 1888 Recognized as the father of criminal identification
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
15
After experimentation proved the usefulness of friction ridges it was added to the anthropometric file
Anthropometry was used from 1882 until 1914 when it was replaced by fingerprinting.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
16
1883 Dr. Arthur Kollman of Germany published an research article
that friction ridges were formed during the forth month of fetal life.
He also was the first to identify the presence and locations of volar pads on the hands and feet.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
17
1891 The French medical/legal scientist, Rene Forgeot published
a thesis in which he proposed using powders and chemicals to develop latent prints at crime scenes in order to individualize the person who had touched an object.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
18
1892 Sir Francis Galton, a prominent scientist authored the first
book on fingerprints Established the uniqueness and permanence of friction ridge skin Also identified and defined the minutiae within a print.
While Galton was doing research that would advance the science of fingerprints, fingerprints were being used in practical applications.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
19
1880 Henry Faulds, a British Medical Missionary opened a hospital
in Japan. Found pottery on a beach which contained friction ridge
impressions which lead him to study friction ridge detail on people and monkeys.
Communicated his findings to Charles Darwin (Evolutionist) Published an article about friction ridges and proposed it’s
use at crime scenes.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
20
1892 Juan Vucetich, a statistician for the Central Police
Department in La Plata, Argentina was promoted to the head of Anthropometric Identification.
Had started experimenting with fingerprints after reading a copy of Galton’s book.
-Implemented his own classification system for the bureau in 1892 for the individualism of criminal prisoners.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
21
First practical use of fingerprint science by law enforcement
In 1892 a murder in Buenos Aires was solved when an investigator trained by Vucetich discovered a bloody print at the crime scene which matched that of Francesca Rojas whose two daughters had been murdered and she blamed a man who was jealous because she loved someone else. First homicide case ever solved by fingerprint evidence.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
22
1897 In 1894 Sir Richard Henry, Inspector of Police in Bengali,
India began collaborating with Sir Francis Galton on a method for the classification of fingerprints and the Henry System was developed.
After outside review the Henry Fingerprint Classification System was found to be superior to Anthropometry, and was sanctioned as the means for the identification of prisoners.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
23
1900 In England, the Belper Committee, after hearing testimony on
the application of fingerprints for individualization and the Henry Classification System it became the standard of practice in England.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
24
1902 Alphonse Bertillon, was called upon to assist in a murder
investigation in France. Located and photographed bloody prints on broken glass at the
scene Determined the prints were not those of the victim Started a search of his anthropometric cards which by that time
had fingerprints added to them.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
25
Found a card which contained fingerprints which matched the prints taken from the scene.
Murder suspect arrested and convicted.
Bertillon given credit for solving the first murder in Europe with the use of only fingerprint evidence.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
26
1902 New York Civil Service Commission started printing
applicants to prevent impostors from taking tests for unqualified applicants.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
27
1903 American Fingerprint Classification System developed in
New York by Captain James Parke after all prisoners were fingerprinted upon release
This was the first systematic use of fingerprinting for criminal record purposes in the United States.
William West and Will West incident at Ft. Leavenworth Prison
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
28
1904 Fingerprint identification was in a display booth at the World’s
Fair in St Louis which was manned by Inspector John Kenneth Ferrier of New Scotland, and made presentations to law enforcement officials from throughout the U.S. Remained in the U.S. to teach others about fingerprinting to include
development of latent prints with powders. Those he trained went on to teach fingerprinting science to law
enforcement and military personnel throughout the rest of America.
Fingerprinting of all inmates at Ft. Leavenworth Prison began which was the beginning of the U.S. Government’s fingerprint collection.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
29
1905 Inspector Charles Collins, Scotland Yard, testified about the
identification of a suspect’s fingerprint on a cash box in a murder case. (Deptford Murder Trial) During which he Explained the classification system The individualization of fingerprints Used a chart to point out matching ridge detail That in his years of experience he had never found two people
having the same fingerprint.
First trial in England where fingerprints were used as evidence.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
30
1910-1911 People v. Jennings (Illinois Case)
Testimony from fingerprint experts concerning latent prints found on a murder scene belonging to the defendant which lead to a murder conviction.
Defense appealed the use of fingerprint evidence and expert witness testimony
One of the experts was Mary Holland, a Navy Fingerprint Trainer and first American female instructor of fingerprinting.
In a Landmark Decision for fingerprinting the conviction was upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
31
1911 People v. Crispi
Burglary case with only fingerprint evidence Lt. Joseph Faurot presented evidence identifying the defendant’s
latent prints on a pane of glass. Did a courtroom demonstration using jurors and other courtroom
personnel Defendant changed plea to guilty Believed to be the first U.S. case where defendant was convicted
by fingerprint evidence alone.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
32
1914 Dr. Edmund Locard, Director of the Laboratory of Police at
Lyon, France Published “The Legal Evidence by the Fingerprints” Had been a student of Alphonse Bertillon Example of law enforcement personnel conducting research into
fingerprint science Known for the “Locard Theory of Exchange”
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
33
1924 FBI Identification Division established
Originally started with 810,188 criminal fingerprint files
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
34
1939 State v. Johnson
Supreme Court of Washington State allowed the used of certified copies of fingerprints to convict a defendant of being a habitual offender
Instead of having officials from other locations to testify to prior convictions
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
35
1939 First use in the United States of fingerprinting in a disaster
USS Squalus, a submarine, sank 240 feet to the bottom of the ocean
U.S. Navy Identification Division identified all of the recovered bodies through fingerprint identification.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
36
1940 FBI participated for the first time in a disaster identification
Crash of an airliner in Lovettstville, Louisiana FBI Agent and clerk on board Members of the FBI fingerprint identification section dispatched Fingerprints assisted in the identification of victims Beginning of the FBI Disaster Response Unit
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
37
1953 Salil Kumar Chatterjeee, Calcutta, India; published the book
Finger, Palm, and Sole Prints.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
38
1960’s FBI criminal fingerprint file grows to over 15 million
individuals
65 million in civilian file due to WW II and Korean War 30,000 cards hand searched daily
Punch card sorting introduced
FBI started meeting with representatives of police from U.K., France, and Japan to discuss the feasibility of computerizing fingerprint files.
Tim Redmond, MSCJ
39
1966 to 1999 FBI puts out RFP’s for the development of fingerprint
readers
1975-1976 electronic processers built by Rockwell International were delivered Took three years to convert 15 million fingerprint cards State and local agencies started automating their files
1983 San Francisco PD Experiment
1999 Over 500 AFIS sites worldwide