CHILLING photographs that were used to crack grisly murders at the turn of the 20th century have been revealed.

The remarkable black and white images were taken in Paris, France, and are credited to famed detective Alphonse Bertillon.

22 A chilling photograph shows Madame Debeinche who was found dead on the floor of her apartment on 9 Rue Chalgrin, Paris, France, on May 8, 1903 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

Some unsettling pictures show scenes of chaos, where it's clear a violent struggle has taken place and left the victim with horrifying injuries.

In other stills, a human body lies in a perfectly neat room, adding to the mystery of the atrocity.

Alphonse was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who devised an identification system based on a criminal’s physical measurements.

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22 This eerie image documents the discovery of a corpse on Rue Moreau in Paris. The date the picture was taken is unknown Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 This graphic shot shows the assassination of Madame Lecomte at her home, 74 Rue de Martys, in 1902 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 A portrait of Alphone Bertillon, in the style of the mug shot he invented, 1912, two years before he died Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Detectives discovered the body of Julia Guillemot at 6 Rue des Boulets, Paris, in 1903 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 The caption for this undated picture states: 'Discovery of corpse in a pit' Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 On August 9, 1913, an elderly woman was found lying face down at 31 Rue des Rosiers in Saint-Ouen. The birds seen in their cages in the background seem to have been the only witnesses to the crime Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

He also invented the mug shot - photographing criminals in the 1840s, just a few years after photography was widely used.

Alphonse’s skills were so well known that in the Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, a prospective client tells Sherlock he is only the “second highest expert in Europe” in criminal matters to him.

Fictional Detective Holmes admits himself that: “To the man of precisely scientific mind, the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly.”

22 The remarkable black and white images were taken in Paris, France, and are credited to famed detective Alphonse Bertillon Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 This startling image portrays the body of Julia Guillemot, at her home in Paris in 1903 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Some unsettling pictures show scenes of chaos, where you can clearly see a violent struggle has taken place and left the victim with horrifying injuries Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 This gruesome image shows the assassination of Mrs. Tusseaux at 6296 Avenue Marie-Laure, Paris, France, in 1902 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 This scene shows the methodology used to photograph a cadaver as part of a anthropometric identification prior to the autopsy. This method was championed by Alphone Bertillon Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Not quite a murder scene but an attempted bombing at the Louvre in a bid to murder the King of Spain Alphone XIII and President of France Emile Loubet. 20 people were injured and one horse was killed Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

Alphonse was the first to recognise the importance of using photography to document a crime scene.

It may seem obvious now but the position of the body, the murder weapon, the footprints or personal artefacts left behind were imperative to solving the case.

At the time there were those who doubted the relevance of photographing murder victims - considering it ghoulish and disrespectful to the deceased.

22 In other stills, a human body lies in a perfectly neat room, adding to the mystery of the atrocity Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 The image documents the discovery of a corpse in a corridor. The date is unknown Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Detectives discovered a body lying on the floor of a hotel room in October 1903 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 A black and white still shows an unidentified body found in Paris, France Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

However, it quickly became apparent how such macabre images helped solve crimes and Paris’ police quickly became the envy of the world.

In 1884, the royal commissioner of police in Dresden wrote that Paris was the “Mecca of police and Bertillon their prophet.”

Alphonse’s anthropometric system would later be superseded by fingerprinting.

22 The grisly picture shows the assassination of Madame Lecomte at 74 Rue de Martys, Paris, France, in 1902 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Alphonse was the first to recognise the importance of using photography to document a crime scene Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 This startling shot depicts the murder of Madame Veuve Bol, in Paris, France, in 1904 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Madame Veuve Bol is seen lying dead on the floor of her bedroom in 1904 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

22 Monsieur Falla, murdered in his sleep, in the corridor of his apartment at 160 Rue du Temple in Paris, 1905 Credit: Public Domain/News Dog Media

However, mug shots remain standard practice today.

Alphonse died on 13 February 1914 in Paris.

Last week, we revealed a fascinating set of 1950s photographs that show how British lives were transformed after the Second World War.

Yesterday, we reported on the horrific 1,000-year-old Chinese practice of foot binding that agonisingly mutilates the toes into a "lotus" shape.