Artist: Stanley Burns
Medium: Google, website: Mental Floss
Year: This image dates to c. 1890-1905
Give a brief description of the movement, photographer, or term you researched. How are they significant to the history of photography (50-75 words)?
The post-mortem movement of photography was unique in its kind during the 18th-19th century.It's significant in the history of photography because it became very popular more than any kind of picture during the Victorian Era. From there a few styles of photography came about: "Spirit photography" in which double exposures where used to make the image look theatrical or ghostly in appearance. Also staged photography where the bodies would be posed to look alive sometimes using props. Post- mortem portraits became "accepted" if you will; that family members would get extra copies of the portraits to send to relatives, wear them on their lockets and hang them in their homes.
Write a short personal reaction to the movement, photographer or term you researched. What is interesting or not interesting about the work (50 – 75 words).
Post-mortem photography caught my attention since growing up my dad worked in the morgue. He would explain to us that death is an event that is part of life just like any other and we should not be afraid of it, therefore I grew up seeing dead bodies and the smell of formaldehyde used to preserve the bodies after all the organs would be taken out. (Sorry maybe T.M.I. too much info) It also reminded me of the movie with Nicole Kidman ("The others") where there are a couple of scenes where she finds a book with post-mortem photographs. It is an interesting form of art, having lost 7 pregnancies I can understand how you would want to preserve a memory of something so special to you and your family. I wouldn't have the courage to be able to have a photograph of my diseased infants, let alone look at it without losing my sanity.
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