An Archaeology of Identity Photography

Was identification and identity validation the only intended purpose of the photo ID? By connecting the ID to the history of photography, particularly those chapters in the history of photography history that involve documenting and studying people’s faces, this project aims to demonstrate the potentialities of the photo ID beyond surveillance.

Register of Laissez-Passer (1932-1936), Diplomatic Archives, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 92 PO/C/160