Bronze Relief Plaque of Dr Henry Faulds

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Date:2011

Description:Dr Henry Faulds (1 June 1843 - 24 March 1930) was a scientist noted for developing fingerprinting. Faulds became a doctor having studied mathematics and medicine. He spent time in India before travelling to Japan to set up a medical mission in 1874. During his time in Japan, he took part in archaeological digs. On one such dig he became aware of impressions in ancient ceramic fragments which led to his discovery that fingerprints are unique to an individual. ‘Nature’ magazine published his discovery in 1880.

He offered to explain to Scotland Yard how fingerprints could identify criminals, but they turned his offer down. Other people claimed to have identified this use of fingerprints before him.

In 1886 Dr Faulds travelled to North Staffordshire to work as a police surgeon. He retired to Wolstanton and is buried at St Margaret’s Churchyard in Wolstanton. It was acknowledged in 1917 that Faulds was the first to identify this use of fingerprints. Yet, Dr Faulds held a lifelong belief that he had never received fair recognition for his work.

This plaque was presented to the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme by Mr Akira Mitsuzane, the retired Head of Identification and Fingerprinting at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force.

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Donor ref:Nm.2018.35 (22/48729)

Source: Brampton Museum and Art Gallery, Newcastle under Lyme

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