What an under-appreciated luxury photographic recording has turned out to be! In this modern age where cameras have become so accessible and constantly within our reach, it's hard to believe that once upon a time, to be photographed was an exceptionally large deal. Especially in the Victorian era, where the price of a photograph costed more than a week's worth of food.
 |
| Petrolian post-mortem... I'd have assumed the parents first. |
Go on. Take a good look at that photograph and tell me what you see. Because I can sincerely swear that just two of the three people present in the photograph are alive. In fact, the only figure to actually be standing up, is not alive. Exhibit A is just one of the many post-mortem photographs that were taken during the Victorian era. When a child or loved one passed away, it was a common occurrence for the families of the deceased to stage photographs for future nostalgic reference. As you can actually see in the Petrolian photo, the bodies were often held in place with the use of wires, poles and metal constraints, while pupils were often painted onto their closed eyes. Spooky huh? Maybe when my cat dies, I'll make sure to photograph her on my lap for safe keeping. Actually scratch that, we have taxidermy now. I'll just get her stuffed.
For more Petrolian post-morten shots, hit 'Read more'
So very spooky. Image and info sources;
Buzz Feed
Petrolia Heritage
No comments:
Post a Comment