Juan Vucetich

Juan Vucetich (July 20, 1858 – January 25, 1925) was a Croatian-born Argentine anthropologist and police official who pioneered the use of fingerprinting.

Related Topics:
July 20 - 1858 - January 25 - 1925 - Croatia - Argentine - Anthropologist - Police - Fingerprinting

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Vucetich was born Ivan Vu?eti? at Lessina in Dalmatia (then Habsburg Monarchy, now Croatia). In 1882 he emigrated to Argentina.

Related Topics:
Lessina - Dalmatia - Habsburg Monarchy - Croatia - 1882

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In 1891 Vucetic began the first filing of fingerprints based on ideas of Francis Galton which he expanded significantly. He became the director of the Center for Dactyloscopy in Buenos Aires. At the time, he included the Bertillon system alongside the fingerprint files.

Related Topics:
1891 - Francis Galton - Dactyloscopy - Buenos Aires - Bertillon system

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In 1892 Vucetich made the first positive identification of a criminal in a case where Francisca Rojas had killed her two sons and then cut her throat, trying to put the blame on the outside attacker. A bloody print identified her as the killer.

Related Topics:
1892 - Francisca Rojas

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Argentine police adopted Vucetich's method of fingerprinting classification and it spread to police forces all over the world. Vucetich improved his method with new material and in 1904 published Dactiloscopía Comparada ("Comparative Dactyloscopy"). He traveled to India and China and attended scientific conferences to gather more data.

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Juan Vucetich died in Dolores, Buenos Aires. In the honor of Vucetich, the La Plata police academy has been named "Escuela de policia Juan Vucetich", and an eponymous museum was founded, too. The police Center for Forensics in Zagreb is also named after him.

Related Topics:
Dolores - Buenos Aires - La Plata - Zagreb

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