[A Victorian Occasion] on the practice of Post-Mortem Photography

            Let’s say, for instance, suddenly, a child dies of German Measles, or Typhoid Fever, Cholera or even the ubiquitous Whooping Cough; tears of sadness flow, family gather around the deceased child and the first call isn’t to the coroner, or doctor for a death certificate or any of the various authorities keeping county or state records; the first call is to an artist, a photographer, but not just any, this man is a Post-Mortem Photographer, skilled at manipulated the deceased in a crafted skill so fine, once the family gathers dressed in their best, once the photograph is snapped, which took on average minutes up to half an hour, no one would be the wiser that the deceased child was indeed deceased in the family portrait.

 

            However strange, however odd it may seem today, Post-Mortem Photography was a common staple of the Victorian Era in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A family’s most prize possession was a photograph of the decease, obviously their last, with the entire family or certain relative before they were buried beneath the earth in the wooden coffin, as Post-Mortem Photography was definitely popular amongst Christians.

            Perhaps it’s not the most bizarre of funeral rituals but it can definitely be one of note. Today Post-Mortem Photography is only survived by forensic and autopsy photographs during the course of pathology.