Henry Classification System
Definition
The fingerprint filing and retrieval system developed by Edward Henry with Haque and Bose in Bengal in the 1890s and adopted by Scotland Yard in 1901. It assigns a pattern type and a ridge count or trace result to each of the ten fingers, combining them into a hierarchical formula used to organise fingerprint collections.
- Based on
- Pattern class (arch, loop, whorl) plus ridge counts
- Developed
- 1890s, adopted by Scotland Yard in 1901
- Original purpose
- Organizing manual fingerprint registries before digital automation
Common questions
What does the Henry Classification System actually do?+
It organizes and files fingerprints using a hierarchical formula. Each of the ten fingers gets assigned a pattern type (arch, loop, or whorl) and a ridge count or trace result. These are combined into an alphanumeric code that lets investigators quickly locate matching fingerprints in a collection. Before digital systems, this manual filing method was essential for working through large archives.
Who created the Henry system and when?+
Edward Henry developed it with Haque and Bose in Bengal during the 1890s. Scotland Yard adopted it in 1901, making it a standard in law enforcement fingerprint work.
Is the Henry system still used today?+
Modern AFIS (automated fingerprint identification systems) have replaced manual Henry filing for large registries. The core approach of classifying fingerprints by pattern type and ridge count dates to the Henry system.
Related terms
- ACE-V
- Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, Verification: the four-stage method for latent print examination used by accredited forensic fingerprint laboratories. Analysis examines the latent in...
- AFIS
- Automated Fingerprint Identification System: a digital database and search engine that encodes friction ridge minutiae from ten-print cards and latent impressions, returning...
- Arch
- A fingerprint pattern in which ridges flow across from one side to the other without recurving and without enclosing a central area....
- Biometrics
- The measurement and statistical analysis of biological characteristics for identity verification or identification; forensic modalities include fingerprint, palm print, face, iris, voice,...
- Core
- The approximate centre of a fingerprint pattern. In a loop, it is identified as the innermost recurving ridge's peak or the tip...
- Delta (Triradius)
- The point of convergence of three ridge systems in a loop or whorl, visible as a Y-junction or triangular confluence. Loops have...
- ENFSI FWG
- ENFSI Fingerprint Working Group: the inter-laboratory coordination body within the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes that harmonises fingerprint examination methodology, runs...
- Forensic Voice Comparison
- The examination of two or more voice recordings to assess whether they share a common speaker source, using auditory-acoustic analysis and/or automatic...
- Galton Features
- The set of observable ridge events catalogued by Francis Galton in his 1892 monograph, including ridge endings, bifurcations, and enclosed formations. The...
- Latent Print
- An invisible or barely visible impression of friction ridge skin deposited on a surface by eccrine sweat and sebum, requiring a development...
- Level 1 Detail
- In ACE-V, the broadest level of information extracted from a fingerprint: the overall ridge flow and pattern type (arch, loop, whorl). Level...
- Loop
- A fingerprint pattern in which ridges enter from one side, recurve, and exit on the same side. The most common pattern type...
Explained in these topics
- The Henry Classification System and Pattern TypesThe fingerprint filing and retrieval system developed by Edward Henry with Haque and Bose in Bengal in the 1890s and adopted by Scotland Yard in 1901. It assig...
- Introduction and Scope of Fingerprint and Biometric IdentificationThe alphanumeric fingerprint classification scheme published by Edward Henry in 1900, based on pattern class (arch, loop, whorl) and ridge counts, used to orga...