Science Fact Finder | The Human Body - Who First Used Fingerprints As A Means Of Identification?

Who first used fingerprints as a means of identification?

It is generally acknowledged that British anthropologist Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) was the first to classify fingerprints. His ideas were further developed by fellow Englishman Sir Edward Henry (1850-1931), who devised a method of identification based on the thumbprint. In 1901, Henry established England's first fingerprint bureau, called the Fingerprint Branch, within the Scotland Yard police force.

Sources: Block, E. B. Fingerprinting: Magic Weapon Against Crime, p. 7; The New York Public Library Desk Reference, p. 452.

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