Hello Friend,
Today, I landed at a weird moment in the history of photography, so I must start with a warning: If you are uncomfortable with the topic of death, I suggest you skip this episode. I am in Victorian Britain, a period known for its strict societal norms and remarkable cultural practices. While the event I'm witnessing now may seem morbid, it was a common practice in the 18th century: a post-mortem photography session.
I sit in a dimly lit living room surrounded by heavy, ornate furniture and walls full of portraits. An atmosphere of grief and a solemn ceremony fills the room, and at the center of this scene is a family gathered closely together, dressed in their finest attire. The focus of this gathering, however, is not a living subject but a deceased family member, a young girl who, as if just asleep, lays in front of them.
The photographer prepares his large, boxy camera while a makeup artist prepares the body of the deceived family member, ensuring she appears as peaceful as possible. The family arranges themselves around her, and the photographer takes the picture.
Post-mortem photography, I learned, became a common practice in Victorian Britain, a time of high mortality rates, especially among children. Photography, a novel invention, offered families a final keepsake to remember their loved ones.
Photography in the 18th century
Hold still, please!
Taking a picture was expensive and took a lot of time. You only had a single shot, so there was a lot of preparation before the image; people brought their finest garments out of the closets, tidied up the house, and perfected their hair. And then, you had to hold still.
Cameras were in their early stages, and it took 30 seconds to take an image. During that time, you had to stand perfectly still because every slight movement resulted in a blurry image - a costly mistake, which is also why people look so grim in old photos. It was hard (and embarrassing) to hold a big smile for 30 seconds. Just try for yourself.
Because of this challenge, photographers got creative and built frames to hold people still. They helped to eliminate slight movements by holding the person in place.
Photographers also used these apparatuses to prop up dead people and give the illusion of a living picture. This leads to some spooky confusion. Look at this picture of two brothers. You can see that both of them have a stand behind them, which leads a lot of people to speculate that both of them are already dead. However, especially because of the blurry outline of the boy on the right caused by his movement, it is way more likely that the stand was supposed to help the living boys to stand still.
Post-mortem photography was a lucrative business then. Photographers specialized in offering their services to capture the last moments of the deceased in a dignified manner, often visiting homes to take these photographs. They became skilled at making the deceased appear as if they were merely sleeping, using various techniques to pose the body and using props to support them.
As I sit here, witnessing this intimate and poignant moment, I am struck by the stark contrast in how we perceive death and mourning today. The practice of post-mortem photography, while seemingly macabre to us, was a meaningful way for families of the Victorian era to cope with loss and keep a tangible memory of their loved ones.
When taking out your phone today to snap a quick image of your dog acting goofy, be fascinated for a second that this is possible and imagine that if you'd been born 200 years earlier, there might only be a single picture of you ... and you wouldn't be able to look at it yourself.
Until next time, where and whenever that might be,
🧳
Albert
Your time-traveling uncle