MOURNING PHOTOGRAPHY

Post-mortem photography was once a recognised form of remembrance by the Victorians believed to “give meaning to their loved ones’ ephemeral lives”.

These photographs were often constructed in a way which made in a way to make the deceased look alive. Makeup was used and the deceased were often propped up and posed to make the corpse look alive.

Death portraiture was introduced shortly after photography started to become more accessible to people in the 1800s and remained prevalent through to the early 20th century

In the 20th century, death and the deceased started moving into medical facilities rather than in the home. Photography became more accessible and so more people were able to document their lives, therefore the need to capture their image in death was less prevalent.