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Lead Section: Post-mortem photography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-mortem_photography

Post-mortem photography is the visual depiction of people who have passed away. These photographs are sentimental pieces for the living to record and remember those who have since been pronounced dead. Their corpses are carefully arranged in positons that mimic postures or typical acts of the living. For example, the subjects were sometimes laid on a bed to resemble them sleeping or on a chair in a sitting position to assimilate reading. Through diaries and letters, some infer that these photographs were a way for the living to subdue the eerie feelings surrounding death by constructing these posthumous photographs that illustrated the subjects performing common things. [1] These types of photographs became popular with the creation of daguerreotypes which enabled family members to take the opportunity to create a more lasting impression of the deceased. These photographs were most often commissioned by family members in order to add more visual memorabilia to their collections. Some have cited this act of photographing the deceased has carried on from hundreds of years of artists portraying the dead through hand illustrated works of art that included drawings and paintings that can be traced to the early fifteenth century. [2] It is understood that post-mortem photography reached its popularity peak in the Victorian age. The idea of photographing the dead, for the most part being children, is often attributed to the values of the certain period in history. Now during more modern times, these photographs are used to understand changing perspectives of post-mortem portraiture. During its peak popularity, it is important to note the significance of a photograph of this nature served as prized visual token for those who were mourning. The attitudes towards post-mortem photography throughout history have always evoked a range of emotions, therefore a close examination of culture during specific dates is instrumental in understanding these photographs. [3]

1&2: Audrey Linkman (2006) Taken from life: Post-mortem portraiture in Britain

1860–1910, History of Photography, 30:4, 309-347, DOI: 10.1080/03087298.2006.10443484

3: http://www.nla.gov.au/ojs/index.php/AJVS/article/viewFile/1614/1973

Post-mortem photography in other cultures
Iceland

It is believed that the post-mortem photography died out in the Nordic countries around 1940. When examining Iceland’s culture surrounding death, it is concluded that the nation held death as an important and significant companion. [4] Throughout much of the nineteenth century, the country’s infant mortality rate was higher than the rest of European countries. Consequently, death was a public topic that was considerably seen through Icelander’s religious lenses. There are many that believe Iceland’s attitudes about post-mortem photography can be drawn out from its earlier attitudes about death. In the early 1900’s, it wasn’t uncommon to read a local newspaper’s obituary section and find detailed information regarding an individual’s death even including instances where suicide occurred. How post-mortem photography began in Iceland remains uncertain but these photographs can be traced to the late nineteenth century.

Britain

There is only a small amount of post-mortem family photographs that can be traced to Britain. The time frame for this type of photographing goes back until 1840 and goes on even to this day. [Linkins] Less common but still evident, newspaper excerpts can be found where these photographs can be found being advertised and shared. Some post-mortem photographing happening today is in hospitals where parents are given the option to photograph their children in cases where they are stillborn.

In comparison with typical photographs, there are thousands to a few hundred. Some believe possible explanations for the lack of these photographs may be the changing societal norms that may have been inflicted dismay and destruction on the photographs but can not be determined. Some other possible explanations for the absence of physical photographs may indicate the true minority practice of the photographs but can not determinable as well.

The photographers
Little documentation exists of how photographers felt about the particular practice. According to old newspapers, only a few photographers knew about the practice and therefore practiced it. Others believe that photographers in the late nineteenth and twentieth were bound to have been occasionally commissioned for post-mortem photographs. Also during the time of noted interest, some attitudes that could be found among photographers was the sincere dislike or hatred of taking photographs in the likeness. It could also be found that a couple firms made substantial amount of their income from the nature of the photographs.