My great grandmother made a scrap book of her 12yr old daughter's funeral (around the 30-40's) it was a great source of comfort to her to make and look back on, I think.
Our attitudes about death have definitely changed over the years. From what I've researched about the post-mortem photography practice, many of those photos are the only one in existence documenting those people (adults too) I can tell from these photos that these children were very much loved.
Yeah, I think it's because it's the only photograph they would have of their loved one, so even though it's really creepy, I can understand the sentiments.
What I really don't understand is that people still do that nowadays; taking pictures of their loved ones in a coffin at the wake/funeral. I find THAT way more creepier than these pictures. Why would you want photographic evidence of your loved one dead in a coffin? It just doesn't seem right. :/
My father took pictures of his father because his uncle (my grandfather's only brother) lives in Canada, we live in the Netherlands and he couldn't make it to the funeral (too short notice and my greatuncle was well into his 80s). So my father took pictures so his uncle could still see what it had been like.
And some people like to take pictures (or rather, have pictures taken) because the funeral itself seems to pass in some kind of blur. Kind of like a wedding except a lot sadder (naturally), you're so caught up in the emotions of the day that your memories are kind of hazy. Photographs can help with that.
I guess it's just from my point of view, I don't want to remember my loved one dead in a coffin. To me, that's not them. I'd much rather have my last memories of them to be the last memories of them alive. I actually prefer wakes/funerals that don't have the body present. But I can understand that it is comforting for a lot of people to see someone they loved one last time, even if they are dead...
As others have noted it was a commonplace thing to do then. People lived a lot closer to death in those days than those of us in the modern world, we 'outsource' activities that took place at home in those days. Once upon a time people put on the best clothes they owned (as opposed to going out and buying a dress for a price that might have bought a farm) and got married at home and had a simple party there instead of an extravaganza of a ceremony and meal. Women didn't go to the hospital to have their children, nor did the sick or injured mostly there weren't any hospitals. And so people tended to die at home and may well have been laid out on the dining room table until the burial. So all these things happened up close and to the entire family. I think it's natural their ways would different.
After she miscarried, Senator Santorum's wife took the child's body home to introduce to her surviving children, and he kept a picture of the kid on his desk in his Senate office. After Michelle Duggar miscarried, the Duggars posted a picture of the baby's hand on their website. In each case, there were rafts of grief counselors in the news stories saying that it was perfectly normal behavior.
Yeah, I know I've seen some people on youtube doing slideshows of photos of miscarried or stillborn children. So, it still seems really common in those cases. Probably for the same reason! If you want to remember, that's the only photo you're going to be able to have.
Me too! I was suddenly remember that toy evaluator on the Antiques Roadshow saying that a lot of times, a toy in great shape has a sad story. It means that the child died and really didn't get to play with their toy. I bet those were all her favorite dolls. (Or only dolls.) Now I wonder if the family kept the dolls, or if they were buried with her.
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Our attitudes about death have definitely changed over the years. From what I've researched about the post-mortem photography practice, many of those photos are the only one in existence documenting those people (adults too) I can tell from these photos that these children were very much loved.
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What I really don't understand is that people still do that nowadays; taking pictures of their loved ones in a coffin at the wake/funeral. I find THAT way more creepier than these pictures. Why would you want photographic evidence of your loved one dead in a coffin? It just doesn't seem right. :/
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And some people like to take pictures (or rather, have pictures taken) because the funeral itself seems to pass in some kind of blur. Kind of like a wedding except a lot sadder (naturally), you're so caught up in the emotions of the day that your memories are kind of hazy. Photographs can help with that.
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Apparently, people still do this.
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