What was the bertillon system?

The Bertillon system, developed by Alphonse Bertillon in the late 19th century, was a method of identifying individuals through a combination of physical measurements and descriptive data. It involved taking precise measurements of various body parts, such as height, head circumference, and the length of fingers, along with photographic portraits and other identifying features. This system aimed to improve criminal identification before the advent of fingerprinting, but it was eventually rendered obsolete due to its complexity and the limitations in accuracy compared to more modern methods.