Historical Development of Fingerprints

Babylonia – The first use of finger prints

Judea - Paul wrote a letter with sign of his fingerprint

Jerusalem – Fingerprint where found in clay lumps during 4th & 5th

Japan – Fingerprint is use for note and documentation to proof that this
letter is from the owner.

England – Thomas Bewick English engraver of his fingerprint the use of

wood and rock as his mark to established genuineness.

China
- fingerprint for identification was found on a chinese car seal.
- fingerprints were used in und action with the preparation of legal
document.
-a seal carved from white jade with the name of the owner on the
other side. sealing document as a signed of authenticity.
-fingerprint also used for evidence
-Palm and soles impression were stamped on dead of sale to
prevent against impersonification.

France - Tomb was discovered, peculiar patterns in the form of rings,

arrows and snakes were found on its walls, represented stylized designs of
pattern of friction ridges.
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PIONEERS IN THE STUDY OF FINGERPRINTS

Nehemiah Grew – the one earliest European publication of fingerprint

observation such as ridges, pores, finger and palm

Govard Bidloo – wrote a book “Human anatomy” the appearance and

arrangement of the ridges on a thumb

Dr. Marcello Malpighi – published “De esterno tactus Orgaro” The ridges
found palmar surface, The pores which serve as a mouth of the sweat glands.
He named Epidermis as outer layer and Dermis is the inner layer. One layer of
the skin was named after him “Malpighian Layer”

Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer – Published a book “Atlas of anatomical”

illustration of fingerprints. Clearly pronounced fundamental principle of finger
print.

Prof. Jean (Johannes) Evangelist Purkinje – Father or Dactyloscopy

Herman Welcker - Took the prints of his own right palm, In 1897, 41 years
later, he printed the same palm(Palm print do not change)

William Herschel - In 1916, he published “the origin of fingerprinting ”. The

first European of the modern period to practice fingerprint identification.

Dr. Henry Faulds - he published an article “nature” describing the importance

of fingerprints for identification purposes. He also wrote “A manual of practical
Dactyloscopy” based on skin ridges of the fingers and toes.

Arthur Kollmann - who studied the fingerprint characteristics of friction ridges

and volar pads. the first researcher to address the formation of friction ridges
on the fetus and the random physical stresses and tensions which may have
played a part in their growth.
Edward Richard Henry - Father of fingerprint science

Sir. Francis Galton - an English biologist, wrote his first textbook, He devised a
practical system of classification and filing the scientist who divided the types
of fingerprints in to two arches, loops and whirls known as ALW he proved that
ridges remain constant till death, and the friction ridges contain individual
characteristics, which he termed Galton's Tails.

Juan Vucetich - Developed his own system of classification through his

published book “Dactiloscopia Comparada”

Dr. Edmond Locard - pioneer of forensic science and criminology. He

developed multiple methods of forensic analysis that are still in use, Locard a
most famous contribution to forensic science. Modern forensic science
classifies this phenomenon as trace evidence.