The genre of posthumous photography was very popular in the 19th century, when the camera was still a rare and expensive pleasure (so for many, the death photograph was the first and only one). To take a photo, I had to pose for a long time next to the deceased, who, by the way, was most often seated in the frame as if he were alive. It seems strange, but think about it: a posthumous photograph of a loved one is the only thing that his family has left in memory of him.
15. For some people, posthumous photography was the first and only
Of course, first of all, the relatives wanted to keep something for themselves in memory of the deceased. Now we don't have such a need: we take a lot of pictures and shoot videos. And then people did not have such an opportunity, so they saved up to take a photograph of their beloved relative at least after death and put it in a family album. Most often, inconsolable mothers ordered photographs of dead children.
14. To take a picture, you had to pose for a long time in front of the camera lens
At that time, one photo took from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, and all this time one had to sit next to the deceased without moving. Probably, it was not easy - for example, in this photo, next to a dead baby in a chair are older brothers and a sister is sitting next to him on a chair. Small children too.
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13. The deceased in the picture turned out more clearly than the living people next to him
Thanks to the long exposure time, the deceased in the photograph was obtained more clearly than the living people around him. Because no matter how hard they try not to move, achieving perfect immobility is unrealistic.
12. "Memento mori" or "Remember death"
Remember death, remember that you will die, and remember the dead. Perhaps the posthumous photographs were a kind of reminder that all people are mortal, death is inevitable and should not be feared. It sounds crazy to us, but at that time such moods were common.
11. Posthumous photographs often show small children
Most often, posthumous photographs were ordered when a child was dying. Then, infant mortality was very high, there were no vaccinations and antibiotics yet, and children often died in infancy from infectious diseases. Therefore, it was customary to give birth to children as much as possible, because not everyone had a chance to survive. And women often died in childbirth, and posthumous pictures were also taken for them.
10. The deceased were given the pose of a living person
Of course, everyone understood that the person was dead, but in the photograph he should look as alive as possible - so that his relatives could remember him that way. The dead were given poses suggesting that they were busy with their favorite business … well, or, in extreme cases, sleeping. The girl in this photo looks like she fell asleep reading.
9. To pretend that the deceased was sitting, it was necessary to somehow fix him in an upright position
A dead body cannot be seated evenly, so someone stood behind and supported him. Or used some kind of supporting mechanism.
8. The deceased were photographed together with their favorite things
There is a custom to put the deceased's favorite thing in the coffin even now. And then, in posthumous photographs, there are always their favorite toys and dolls next to the children, and next to the adults - their favorite book or other object that they often used.
7. Sometimes death overtook several people at once
Since photography was an expensive affair, often several people who died at the same time were combined in one photo, so as not to spend money on a separate picture for each. This photo shows the mother and her triplets. Unfortunately, both the mother and two of the three children are dead - possibly due to some kind of epidemic.
6. These photos were expensive
Posthumous photographs were not easy to shoot, they required a certain skill and skill, so they were very expensive. It was necessary to pay the photographer for work, reagents, development and printing, and more often than not the family received a single photograph, which they kept like the apple of their eye.
5. They were printed in newspapers
We know what a newspaper obituary is. Usually this is a short message about the death of a person with an indication of the cause of death, without details, and with an expression of condolences. At a time when posthumous photography flourished, it was customary to print more detailed obituaries in newspapers with post mortem photographs and a detailed description of the death. In addition, then there were still no such methods of preserving the dead for a long time, which there are now. Then they were buried as quickly as possible, and not everyone had time to come to the funeral. In such cases, a detailed obituary came in handy.
4. The eyes of the deceased in the photograph were painted by hand
Sometimes it was not possible to give the deceased person the appearance of being alive in the photograph, and then it was modified by hand, painting his eyes. This made these photos look even more gruesome. The photographs were black and white, and people often painted the cheeks of the deceased red and pink to give him life.
3. In photographs of this quality, it is difficult to tell who is alive and who is dead
Sometimes, the truly dead in a photograph look just like the living. And you can't tell. In this picture, the young man on the right is apparently dead, as he is standing in a simpler position and there is clearly something behind him that supports him in an upright position. So if you immediately realized that it was him, you are right. But if you decide that the young man on the left is dead, you are also right. There is also a support stand behind it. Yes, there are two dead people in this photo.
2. Photographed even deceased pets
Pets are part of the family, and it was the same in those days. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that someone took posthumous photographs of their beloved dog or cat for a family album. This, of course, only rich people could afford.
1. Photos were taken regardless of the circumstances of death
It doesn't matter in what form the deceased was, the photograph was taken under any circumstances. Many photographs of people who were burned in a fire or died from diseases that disfigured their appearance have survived. The woman in this picture looks like this only because of the rotting corpse. It is strange that someone wanted a photograph of a relative in this form, but people could be in complete despair. And at least some photograph is better than none, right?