The Science of Fingerprints

"Criminal identification by means of fingerprints is one of the most potent factors in obtaining the apprehension of fugitives who might otherwise escape arrest and continue their criminal activities indefinitely." -J. Edgar Hoover, Introduction, The Science of Fingerprints




The Science of Fingerprints: Classification and Uses is a 1957 FBI guide for taking and analyzing fingerprints, with an introduction by J. Edgar Hoover.




Hoover personified the FBI during his reign of 48 years, beginning in 1924, as the founding director of the FBI. He has been credited with building and modernizing the FBI, including with establishing a centralized fingerprint file. Although we have entered the era of DNA and cyber-crime, fingerprinting remains an essential tool for investigating crime. This manual is valuable reading for students of criminal justice, historians, and anyone interested in the essentials of fingerprinting.