Death in the Victorian Era (part 4)
 – Post Mortem Photography 

“What a comfort it is to possess the image of those who are removed from our sight. We may raise an image of them in our minds, but that has not the tangibility of one we can see with our bodily eyes.”

— Flora A. Windeyer, in a letter to Rev. John Blomfield, November 1870

It was commonplace for those who could afford it during the Victorian Era to have portraits of family members commissioned during their lifetime or upon their death. With the invention of photography, a far cheaper form of memorial portraiture came into existence: post-mortem photography, also known as memento mori. The Latin phrase translates as “Remember that you must die” and, in art, refers to an object, such as a skull or photograph, intended to remind us of death and mortality.

A photograph would be taken of the deceased loved one, sometimes lying in their coffin. In other cases, they might be propped up in a chair amongst living family members or posed, through specially constructed apparatus, to appear standing, as if still alive and accompanied by their favourite possessions.

The most common practice was for the deceased to appear as though they were peacefully sleeping.

On occasion, children would be made to sit beside their deceased relative for a photograph. Could you imagine how disturbing that must have been for a young child?

The purpose of the photograph was to preserve the memory of the loved one who would soon be laid to rest and to provide the family with a final tangible reminder of their presence. For many families, it would be the only photograph ever taken of that person.

Some families even went to the trouble of having postcards made from the photograph of the deceased and sending them to relatives living on the other side of the country, or even the world.

Next Week: Death in the Victorian Era Part 5: Victorian Funeral Etiquette

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