Finger Prints: The Classic 1892 Treatise (Dover Books on Biology)

Landmark discusses the evidence validating fingerprints as a means of personal identification, permanence of the fingerprint characteristics, uniqueness of an assemblage of ridge details, and the variability and classifiable nature of finger patterns — along with such fundamental investigations as biological and racial variations and the inheritance of fingerprint traits. 34 tables. 15 plates. One of the preeminent scientists of the nineteenth century, Sir Francis Galton published his landmark study of fingerprint science in 1892. Galton's new classification system-using prints of all 10 fingers, which remains the basis of today's systems-was inspired by his review of research material by Henry Faulds and William Herschel, along with the method devised by Bertillon for identifying criminals using an anthropometric system of body measurement.Finger Prints reviews Galton's studies of fingerprint identification, the Bertillon method, and a variety of biological approaches. He unites and strengthens the evidence validating fingerprints as a means of personal identification: permanence of the fingerprint characteristics; uniqueness of an assemblage of ridge details; and the variability and classifiable nature of finger patterns. In addition, Galton reports on such fundamental investigations as biological and racial variations and the inheritance of fingerprint traits.