David Nunes Carvalho

author

David Nunes Carvalho

1848–1925

A pioneer of ink analysis and handwriting examination, this remarkable investigator turned chemistry, photography, and close observation into tools for solving disputed documents. His writing opens a window onto the long history of ink and the early science behind forensic evidence.

1 Audiobook

Forty Centuries of Ink Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.

Forty Centuries of Ink Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.

by David Nunes Carvalho

About the author

Born in Philadelphia on September 29, 1848, he was the son of artist and photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho and Sarah Miriam Solis. He studied in New York, focusing on subjects including organic chemistry and photography, and early on worked in photography alongside his father and in New York studios.

He became widely known as an expert on ink and handwriting, building a career that brought him into thousands of legal cases involving questioned documents, wills, and suspected forgery. His work combined chemical testing with microscopic examination, and he was known for treating handwriting analysis as a practical science rather than a parlor art.

For readers, he is best remembered as the author of Forty Centuries of Ink, a sweeping and unusual book that blends history, bibliography, chemistry, and forensic curiosity. He died in New Rochelle, New York, on June 29, 1925, but his work still stands out as an early bridge between old-world scholarship and modern forensic investigation.