History of Fingerprinting

Dr. Nehemiah

1684

wrote a paper describing the patterns that he saw on human hands under the microscope, including presences of ridges.

Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer

1788

described that the "arrangement of skin ridges is never duplicated in two persons."

Jan Evangelist Purkyn

1823

described nine distinct fingerprint patterns, including loops, spirals, circles, and double whorls.

Sir William Herschel

1856

noted the patterns were unique to each person and were not altered by age

Alphonse Bertillon

1879

created a way to identify criminals, the system sometimes is called Bertillonage- credited with solving the first murder using fingerprints.

Sir Francis Galton

1888

verified that fingerprints don't change with age.
With Sir E. R. Henry they developed the classification system for fingerprints that is still in use today in the US and Europe.

Ivan (Juan) Vucetich

1891

improved fingerprint collection. Noted measurements on the identification cards of all arrested persons, as well as adding all 10 fingerprints. Devised his own fingerprint classification system and invented a better way of collecting the impressions.

Sir Edmund Richard Henry

1896

created a system that divided fingerprint records into groups based on whether they have an arch, whorl, or loop pattern. Created the ten card.

Frederick Brayley

1910

published the first American textbook on fingerprints, "Arrangement of Fingerprints, Identification, and Their Uses."

Edmond Locard

1918

wrote that if 12 points (Galton's Details) were the same between two fingerprints, it would suffice as a positive identification.