Victorian Post-Mortem Photography: Mourning Through Images

Victorian post-mortem photography emerged in the mid-19th century as a significant mourning ritual, allowing families to preserve the only visual record they might have of deceased loved ones, particularly children. Photographers employed various techniques to create lifelike appearances, from positioning bodies as if sleeping to using hidden supports and even painting eyes onto closed eyelids. These images employed a visual language of mourning through symbolic elements such as lilies, wreaths, and religious items. The practice flourished during an era of high mortality rates and elaborate grieving customs, exemplified by Queen Victoria's perpetual mourning following Prince Albert's death. As photography became more accessible and mortality rates improved in the early 20th century, the practice declined. Modern scholars now view these images not as macabre curiosities but as profound expressions of love and remembrance from a society that integrated death into everyday life rather than institutionalizing it.

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