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Is there any way to authenticate a possible post-morteum picture?
I inherited an old photo album from my g-grandmother, its mostly from the Victorian era. There's a picture of a child I think was done post-morteum. She would be my grandmother's sister, and, if I'm correct, she died from measles in 1889.
The picture shows a little girl, with her head shaved. My mother thought it was my grandmother, but the facts point more to my grandmother's sister. My mother did say the shaved head was an attempt to control the spread of measles.
I looked up measles during that time. They did shave long hair in a rather vain attempt to control the spread of the disease. I would imagine this is why her head was shaved. However, pictures back then were very expensive, perhaps a once in a lifetime event. So, why would someone pay the expense of a photograph when they weren't at their best---a shaved head? Answer, because the child was dead and that was their only chance for a picture.
I've studied the picture carefully. It appears she is standing on one foot, the other leg bent slightly at the knee, an akward pose for a child to maintain, but a common pose for a post-morteum.
Well, I just wondered if there's any place that could actually determine if the photo is indeed post-morteum? Thanks
Is there any way to authenticate a possible post-morteum picture?
I inherited an old photo album from my g-grandmother, its mostly from the Victorian era. There's a picture of a child I think was done post-morteum. She would be my grandmother's sister, and, if I'm correct, she died from measles in 1889.
The picture shows a little girl, with her head shaved. My mother thought it was my grandmother, but the facts point more to my grandmother's sister. My mother did say the shaved head was an attempt to control the spread of measles.
I looked up measles during that time. They did shave long hair in a rather vain attempt to control the spread of the disease. I would imagine this is why her head was shaved. However, pictures back then were very expensive, perhaps a once in a lifetime event. So, why would someone pay the expense of a photograph when they weren't at their best---a shaved head? Answer, because the child was dead and that was their only chance for a picture.
I've studied the picture carefully. It appears she is standing on one foot, the other leg bent slightly at the knee, an akward pose for a child to maintain, but a common pose for a post-morteum.
Well, I just wondered if there's any place that could actually determine if the photo is indeed post-morteum? Thanks
One of the biggest things to look for is obviously the stand. Is the position one that "dead weight" could hold? If an arm is resting against the side with the elbow bend, unsupported, it can't be a post morteum. Look at the position of the head. The chin will generally be resting down against the chest to keep the mouth shut in a post morteum shot. You can also ask the opinion of a photo gallery expert. They are a wealth of information!
One thing about the photo that puzzled me---how could her mouth be shut with her head in an uplifted position? I studied the photo some more. she is wearing a high collar, it looks stiff, like cotton and linen, with lace. If you study it very carefully, you can see a tiny little thing, like a stick, propping her chin.
Although you can't see a stand, it appears one is there. Its the way her lower body appears to be a "dead weight". Her legs are crossed at the knees, she appears to be standing with one foot raised. However, upon closer inspection, the other foot is resting on a cleverly concealed wood plank.
This must be their daughter, with the expense of photos back then. Alive or dead? Well, I know from personal papers she died at age 7. Like I said who would take a picture of a child not at their best, with a shaved head? Back in the Victorian Era, a shaved head was considered a stigma of shame. No one would document that!
Ok, we will never know for sure, but I'm going to say this is Alma, and this is a post-morteum. RIP little child!
They used stands for living people as well at times. The exposure times were so long, that if someone moved, the image would be blurry - so they had stands that were hidden behind the subject, and kept the head from moving too much.
Post mortem pictures, especially of babies or children were common and the "last" remembrance
of that individual. Stands were usually easy to spot, also either the "far away" or "piercing" look of
the opened eyes. If you look on google.com images you can probably find these types of photos.
Today we may think they are macabre but back then, about 1860-1900 or so, they treasured these
keepsakes.
Post mortem pictures, especially of babies or children were common and the "last" remembrance
of that individual. Stands were usually easy to spot, also either the "far away" or "piercing" look of
the opened eyes. If you look on google.com images you can probably find these types of photos.
Today we may think they are macabre but back then, about 1860-1900 or so, they treasured these
keepsakes.
True, people didn't have the near constant access to photo or video recording that exists today. The death bed or coffin photo was often the only remembrance of a beloved child.
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