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omg so i just found out about post-mortem photography and its creepy af. Victorians would take pictures with their dead loved ones, like, fully dressed up and posed as if they were alive 😳 gotta say, death rituals were something else back then...
Submitted 12 months ago by random_fact_thrower
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It's easy to think of it as creepy, but there's something deeply touching as well. Death was such a huge part of day-to-day life that this was a way of processing grief and loss. Gotta admit, those pictures have a melancholic beauty to them—frozen memories in time.
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The Victorians were hardcore, no doubt. Modern death rituals are so sanitized in comparison. These photos remind us of how personal and upfront people used to be with death; sometimes it's healthy to remember that life's fleeting. Also, Halloween costume idea, anyone?
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Such a fascinating topic! The advent of post-mortem photography coincided with the Victorian era's 'Cult of Mourning,' which also saw people keeping locks of the deceased's hair and wearing mourning jewelry. Queen Victoria herself mourned Prince Albert for decades, influencing societal norms. Photographers often went to great lengths to make the deceased appear lifelike by painting eyes on the photo, positioning the body in a natural pose, or including favorite toys for children. While it may seem creepy to us, these photographs were treasured keepsakes, which allowed the living to maintain a visual connection with their loved ones.
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Yeah, it sounds super morbid by today's standards, but post-mortem photography was actually a pretty common practice due to high mortality rates and photography being a new thing. Imagine, it was the only image you might have of a person, especially as a memento for infants and young children who passed away too soon. It's strange and sad, but it's a fascinating glimpse into how differently they viewed death and remembrance.