Historical development of

fingerprint

Presented by; group 4

Jarren e. jamila
Ronnel c. balla
Alain s. villegas
Mohammad f. elias
Ranier f. aguilar
Dr. Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712)

An anatomist who was responsible for the earliest written references on

fingerprints (1684) in a pare he delivered to the Royal Society in London
entitled “Philosophical Transaction”

CONTRIBUTION
In this paper (Philosophical Transaction), Grew reported on the
patterns of the fingerprints and he illustrated them with drawings of
various patterns.
Dr. Marcello Malphigi (1628-1694)

An anatomist who described the functions of the skin and mentioned

patterns formed by the ridges.

CONTRIBUTION
A professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna noted in his
treatise, ridges, spiral, and loops in fingerprints. He made no mention
of their value as a tool for individual identification.
Dr. J.C.A Mayer (1747-1801)

A German anatomist and the first European to recognize that fingerprints

were unique to each individual.

CONTRIBUTION
He authored a book human anatomy and anatomical illustrations.
The book is one of the earliest recordings supporting the uniqueness of
fingerprints.
Herman Welcker (1822-1897)

He was a German anatomist and anthropologist who was born in Giessen.

CONTRIBUTION
He conducted first study into the permanence of friction ridges.
John Evangelist Purkinje (1787-1869)

He was a professor of physiology at Breslau University.

CONTRIBUTION
In 1825 he wrote a thesis in which he described and named nine
standard types of fingerprints pattern and vaguely outlined a system
of classification.
Gilbert Thompson (1839-1909)

He was an American typographer, Draftsman, Topographer and soldier

CONTRIBUTION
Used his own thumb print on a document to help prevent forgery.
This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States.
Sir William Herschel (1833-1930)

Herschel was a British administrative official in India and had been for
some time deeply interested in fingerprints as a means of identifying
one individual from another.

CONTRIBUTION
He carried out experiments spanning sixty years which
establishes the principle “Principle of Persistency” of papillary friction
ridges.
Dr. Henry Faulds (1843-1930)

He was a medical missionary for the church of Scotland in the late

1800’s.

CONTRIBUTION
Dr. Faulds published an article in the scientific journal, Nature
entitled “On the Skin Furrows of the Hand”.
Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911)

A British Anthropologist and a cousin of Charles Darwin.

CONTRIBUTION
Galton published his book “Fingerprints”, Establishing the
individuality and permanence of fingerprints.
Juan Vucetich (1891)

He joined the Buenos Aires Police Department and was appointed as a

chief of it’s anthropometric bureau in 1889.

CONTRIBUTION
Vucetich’s fingerprinting system was the first complete system of
fingerprinting classifications.
Sir Edward Henry (1869-1931)

He was an inspector General of police in India.

CONTRIBUTION
He devised a simple and viable classification system which he
described in his book entitled “Classification and Uses of Fingerprints” in
1900’s.
Thomas Bewick (1753-1828)

He was a wood engraver/Painter who decorated some of his work with

fingerprints.

CONTRIBUTION
He was one of the first to recognize the individuality of fingerprint.
Henry P. De Forrest (1864-1948)

He was educated at Cornell University and received his medical degree

from Columbia University.

CONTRIBUTION
Pioneers the first systematic use of fingerprints in the U.S by New
York civil service commission.
Azizul Haque (1919-2012)

Was an Imam and scholar from Bangladesh.

CONTRIBUTION
He developed the Henry Classification System of Fingerprints.
Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914)

A French Criminologist and credited as the “Father of Personal

Identification”.

CONTRIBUTION
He invented and established the first scientific method of
identification which is the Anthropometry System.
Edmond Locard (1877-1966)

He was a French Criminologist, The pioneer in forensic science who

became known as the sherlock holmes of France.

CONTRIBUTION
He formulated the basic principle of forensic science: “Every contact
leaves a trace”.
 REFERENCE

JESUS BUENO VINLUAN, Ph.D. CRIM

JOSE M. BUENAVISTA JR., M.S. CRIM

ADVANCE TECHNIQUES IN DACTYLOSCOPY WITH AFIS

SECOND EDITION

Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.

2012