Have you ever watched the 2001 movie The Others, starring Nicole Kidman? In it is a scene where her character is flipping through some death photography. These are examples of European/Australian Memento Mori photographic portraiture. Another Memento Mori (remember you must die) example included locks of hair. For those who could afford them-wax or plaster death masks, paintings, and sculptures of the deceased are other examples.
The Dante death mask plays a significant role in author Dan Brown’s novel (and movie adaptation) “Inferno”. It's an example of a Memento Mori. Supposedly a death mask was also made of Napolean Bonapart after his death.
Death portraits are an undeniably eerie relic of the Victorian era. With the rise of early photography in the 1800s, post-mortem photographs became a reality for families who could afford this service.
A post-mortem photograph is exactly what it sounds like. The family poses around the deceased, usually in a domestic setting. It was supposed to appear natural. The family is stoic in their grief. Parents pose with children, adults pose in their profession, or the entire family would pose together, including pets. Because photography was expensive, this was often the only photograph a family had of the deceased. They would proudly display these on the wall or mantles in the family home.
In the Victorian times, death was pervasive due to the diphtheria, typhus and cholera epidemics in England and other parts of Europe. In the 1830s in England, life expectancy was in the high 30’s. An infant’s mortality rate was high and a child’s mortality rate was 20% before the age of five, on average. The demand for death photography only declined as health care improved. This led also to an increase in life expectancy for children.
So, what purpose do these death photographs serve?
1. They help with the grief process as they were a visual reference point for people to discuss their loss(es). It legitimized their grief and gave actual proof of their loss of a loved one.
2. They strengthen the emotional connection between the person who died, and their living loved ones.
3. They help to prevent the idea of “forgetting” a loved one and aided in the grieving process by allowing the living to “move on” yet preserving memories.
Nowadays, photography is commonplace and inexpensive compared to the past. Pictures can be taken by professionals (e.g., school pictures, or formal occasions such as weddings, graduations, etc.) or by anyone with a camera or camera-enabled devices like our phones. We still take pictures of our loved ones, our pets, or vacations we took, events we went to, places we visited, or things we see, etc., to preserve moments in time. Themed photoshoots are the norms- first day of school, yearly school photos, graduation, wedding, wreck the wedding dress, bridal/baby showers, etc. We likely have photo albums in our homes, or files on our computers or in our phones of important photos we want to save and preserve. How many of us fondly reflect when a “on this day” memory photo/posting pops up in our Facebook feed? Perhaps we even share it. We likely have photos displayed on our walls, mantels, as our screensaver or in other prominent places. These still serve the same purpose as the Victorian death photographs.
Post-mortem photography is still valued in 2024. Respectful photos are taken of the newly departed and perhaps of those who are grieving. Some people choose to display photos of their loved ones at wakes or funerals. If a family has suffered the loss of a newborn baby, their birth doula/full-spectrum doula/death doula/hospital personnel will encourage taking pictures (as well as clips of hair, hand and footprints, etc.).
In conclusion, just as in Victorian times, post-mortem photography is very helpful as part of the grieving process, regardless of the age of the deceased or the circumstances.
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