Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Finger Prints

This picture was taken in 1918, and it shows a woman inspecting fingerprint cards. I was not aware that fingerprints were used back then. Does anyone know when fingerprinting started?

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12 comments:

  1. Fingerprinting is apparently quite old.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprint#History_of_fingerprinting_for_identification

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  2. in 1686, Marcello Malpigni noticed the unique patterns in human fingerprints. In 1915, the first system for identifying fingerprints (I.A.I.) was invented.
    Mark Twain uses fingerprinting in a couple of his stories in the 1880's.

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  3. It must have been very difficult to compare the fingerprints to determine the minute differences.

    Fascinating.

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  4. SmartGirl: Before there was a scientific system, fingerprint identification was made by people with "photographic memories". Now that had to be interesting.

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  5. I don't know anything about the history of fingerprinting, but I do know that I love this woman's hairstyle! I wonder if I could manage something like this myself... hmmm...

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  6. Today I found out that I need a new passport on 9 September 2010. I also found out that, as of 21 September 2010, in The Netherlands fingerprints will be put in the passport. My fingerprints will therefore not be in my new passport until 2015. By then 5 years of experience with this new feature have passed. I just decided I like that idea.

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  7. fingerprinting started in my moms kitchen,on and around the cookie jar,,shortly after the chocolate chip cookies were ready,
    oldbear.

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  8. Geezer:

    Thanks!! I wonder how reliabe that was.

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  9. Fingerprints aren't nearly as foolproof as we are generally led to believe. There is a very interesting story about a Scottish police woman, Shirley McKie, who was nearly sent to prison because of mistakes in fingerprint identification.
    www.shirleymckie.com/facts.htm

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  10. Gosh that was a long time ago! And very interesting too!! Thank you!!

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  11. I'd imagine that job would be like a giant game of Memory.

    "Now where did I see those fingerprints before? Hmmm, I believe they were either under M or P."

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  12. Did you know koala bears also have fingerprints? They are similar enough to human prints that they can confuse police technicians. The Good Lord certainly does have an odd sense of humor! (Of course, there's also the playpus...)

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