Postmortem photographs were a trend in the mid 19th century
Posted by Josh Taylor / November 7, 2013 19th centuryphotographs
These photographs may be a bit unsettling to anyone born after 1830…just a warning.
Our 19th century ancestors had a very different relationship with death than we do. For them, dying was a more intimate experience. It often happened in the home, surrounded by loved ones. Relatives would care for the sick, watch their family members die, and then clean and dress the body themselves. Before the burial, though, some families (who could afford it) would get photos taken with their loved ones as though they were still alive, or just sleeping. Take a look at some of them, but be warned, child mortality was high so some pictures are especially intense:
See the rest at io9.
Photo credit: io9
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