by Liz Kennington

A normal practice in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was post-mortem photography. By today’s standards this would be considered morbid and definitely taboo. But the photos, commissioned by grieving families, were often the only visual remembrance of the deceased and also a treasured possession.

The pictures were taken of the recently deceased. Because death in the nineteenth century usually took place at home, post- mortem photography was as commonplace as the deaths themselves. The invention of the daguerreotype in 1839 made it possible for a cheap means of photographing often not available to the average person. According to Mary Warner Marien, “Post-mortem photography flourished in photography’s early decades, among clients who preferred to capture an image of a deceased loved one rather than have no photograph at all.”

This practice was especially common with infants and young children. Childhood mortality rates were high during the Victorian era, and the post-mortem photograph would be the only picture a family had of small children. Earliest photographs are usually close-ups of the face or body, sometimes shown reposed on a couch or in a crib, with toys or playthings. Rarely do the photos show an actual casket. It was also not uncommon to show the child with a family member, such as a mother or other sibling. Later photographs actually show the person in a casket.

The only picture my husband’s family has of his younger sister is just this kind of photo. She lived only a few days, and the casket photo is the only visual remembrance of her.

While this practice seems morbid to us today, that was not how a family viewed this practice. Also known as mourning portraits, these pictures gave lasting proof that someone close to the family had actually existed. It provided a memory to share with others over the ensuing years.

How can you tell if the photograph you have of an ancestor was taken post-mortem? Look for the presence of special symbols in the photos that would have made sense to nineteenth century viewers. A rose held downward or a broken stem indicated a life cut short. The use of morning glories in the photos symbolized a short life since morning glories bloom, wilt, and drop from the vine in one day. A boat on calm water symbolizes an easy death; stormy waters, a difficult one. If there is a watch displayed in the photo, it would indicate the time of death.

Sometimes the photographer would have rouged the cheeks of the deceased much like a mortician would do today. Subjects for post-mortem pictures can also be staged sitting up. Well-done photos are an attempt to preserve the illusion of life, while poor attempts fail to show “life.” The dating of these photos can also be made from the “pose” of the deceased. The early photos used “living” kinds of poses, while later photos were most often done in the casket.

While post-mortem photos were usually private images, post-mortem photos of public figures were made on occasion. The most famous one would be that of Abraham Lincoln at the funeral ceremony in New York City. General Edward D. Townsend, representing the U.S. Army, gave permission for photographer Jeremiah Gurney to photograph Lincoln’s body as it lay in state. When Secretary of State Edwin Stanton learned of this, he ordered the destruction of the negatives. Gurney did so but retained a smaller, stereo plate while waiting for Stanton to reverse his order. A print from this stereo plate was published in 1953 in a picture biography of Lincoln.