History of Smithsonian--FBI Collaboration in Forensic Anthropology, Especially in Regard to Facial Imagery

• NCJ Number: 218827
• Author(s): Douglas H. Ubelaker
• Date Published: October 2000
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: US Dept of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: From Forensic Science Communications, V 2, N 4, October 2000; downloaded June 12, 2007.

Annotation

This article reviews the history of the collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the FBI in cases that have required the expertise of a forensic anthropologist, with attention to the Smithsonian personnel involved and the evolution of the practice of facial imagery.

Abstract

For just over 60 years, physical anthropologists at the Smithsonian Institution have provided continuous consultation in forensic anthropology to the FBI. Ales Hrdicka (1869-1943), who was widely regarded as a key figure in the early history of American physical anthropology, was hired in 1903 as the first curator of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian. FBI officials noted his impressive credentials and referred a case to him in 1936. It involved determining the human or nonhuman character of discovered bones of unknown origin. More formal consultation between Hrdicka and the FBI followed. Of the approximately 37 cases in which Hrdicka was involved, there was no evidence that he attempted or was directly involved with facial reproduction from crania. Upon Hrdicka's retirement in 1942, collaboration with the FBI continued with Hrdicka's successor at the Smithsonian, T.D. Stewart. Stewart contributed to the developing science of facial reproduction by dissecting cadavers in order to define the relationship between Whitnall tubercles and the location of the points of attachment of the palpebral ligaments. When Stewart accepted a position as Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in 1962, responsibility for FBI casework shifted to the Smithsonian's J. Lawrence Angel (1915-1986), a prominent physical anthropologist and anatomist. By the end of his career, he was widely recognized as a leader in the field of forensic anthropology. His cases included facial reproductions that on at least one occasion led to a positive identification. This article explains the techniques of photographic superimposition and facial reproduction that developed under the FBI-Smithsonian collaboration. 15 figures and 15 references