The UNSETTLING And SHOCKING Art Of Victorian Death Photography

[@twysst7117]

Suggest you do some additional research on why these photos were taken. Often, it was literally the only reminder or image someone would have of a loved one. Memento mori jewelry, including braided hair, was also a popular token after someone had passed, and had been for centuries. Death was also not viewed the same way as it is today and these images were not seen as disturbing or shocking at all. People generally had wakes for their loved ones in their homes, they would wash and dress the bodies. People today are scared and repulsed by the idea of death and dead bodies, but it wasn’t that way then. Among other resources, there is a great book called Sleeping Beauties that gives a great overview of postmortem photography. There are also online resources.

[@lesleysmith51]

You can still get hair jewelry online. I don't think I could buy it though.

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

Lesley Smith you can also buy jewelry made with cremains online.

[@erinjean6936]

If you're suggesting to the viewer, I agree - it's interesting to research. If you're suggesting to the person who made the video, she covered those reasonings and doesn't really need them explained back to her so I'm not sure why you'd suggest she do more research on that.

[@amsodoneworkingnow1978]

My husband for over 54 years has been obsessed with my thigh length hair. I have always said that should he pass before me he will go with a length of my hair wrapped in his hands. Now he has asked if I go first for my permission to have a length of hair cut for him to hold on to till needed of course I have agreed

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

How exactly was death viewed differently back then? They were not obsessed with death by any means. Death happened all too often, and families did everything from bathing and dressing the decedent, lying them in repose in a bed or coffin, then wakes to burials. Without antibiotics/vaccines and limited knowledge of medicine back then, people died from maladies today wouldn't even put them in the hospital. Their mourning periods were obviously different, but I'm sure they felt the same pain and heartbreak as we do today. Before photography the only way to preserve an image of a loved one was with a painting and only the very rich could afford paintings. Photography comes along and though expensive, it wasn't that expensive and most could afford having photos taken. Photography was new and initially there weren't many photographers, so having photos taken wasn't exactly easy. If someone died before they had photos taken, a pm photo was better than no photo, and THAT is why pm photos were taken. They weren't obsessed with death, they weren't morbid people, or had some type of strange relationship with death. Post mortem photography wasn't exactly popular, and certainly not as popular as the internet would like people to believe, and pm photos are obvious with decedent lying in repose in a bed or coffin. There was no posing, propping eyes open, no painting eyelids, etc. Those are myths. I suggest you do a bit more research yourself, and not from Google...........

[@kittykatts10-7]

If i wanted a history lesson, i would have gone to school...NO DEATH PHOTOS

[@irishduck2826]

What? If you don't want to see this then why are you here? 😂 Stop watching it if you don't want to

[@babiryeethel8582]

We see a lot of Victorian photographs, most I haven't seen before but as far as I know, not a single photo you showed were of dead people.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

Exactly. Mislabeled photos pulled from the internet.

[@benadams1661]

It's actually a Myth that people aged quicker back then, it's more due to the fact people were more susceptible to illness and disease that a lot of people died before their time which evened out life expectancy "statistically" but plenty of people lived well into their later years similar to today

[@jacquelineredstone4487]

i feel like you just kept saying the same thing over and over and over and then you didn't even show us any of these photographs that the entire video is supposed to be about. huge dislike from me. and usually i really like your videos. you can do better.

[@carolmode3708]

I'm confused, I thought a lot of postmortem photographs were usually taken because photography was expensive and sometimes that was the only photo they had of their relative. I also agree with the comment about the pictures, all the ones you showed, that I've seen so far, aren't of dead people. I also think that they weren't necessarily fascinated with death, they just took the pics because a lot of times that would be the only photo they had.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

@@carolmode3708 photography was new and initially there weren't many photographers, so getting everyone together and to a studio wasn't exactly easy. If someone died before they had photos taken, a post mortem photo was better than no photo. Before photography the only way to preserve an image of a loved one was with a painting and only the very rich could afford paintings. Photography comes along and though expensive, it wasn't that expensive, and most could afford photos. If someone died before they had photos taken, a post mortem photo was better than no photo. It wasn't exactly popular, certainly not as popular as the internet would like people to believe, and it was obvious with decedent lying in repose in a bed or coffin.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

@@carolmode3708 they were not obsessed with death, it just happened way too often, and many families lost multiple children, and some lost all of their children. More than 50% of children born back then died before their 5th birthday, and often died from issues that today wouldn't even need hospitalization. The pm photos had nothing to do with an obsession with death, and were taken simply to have an image of that loved one when they hadn't yet had photos taken.

[@carolmode3708]

I didn't say they were obsessed with death. If u read my comment I said photography was expensive and sometimes that was the only photo they would have of a loved one. I also said they weren't fascinated with death. Maybe read the comments a little more carefully from now on.

[@peterbilt-bo1vy]

@@carolmode3708 You did say they had a strange fascination with death.

[@suzannekosic4088]

In 1973 my eldest brothers firstborn son lived for a few seconds until God took him home. I was asked to photograph him for my sister in law who couldn’t bear to see him in his little coffin at this point. My first child was born 7 months before my little nephew. She was born 3 1/2 months early, weighed in at 2lbs 2oz. Yet she lived. Thanks be to God Almighty we had just moved to Boston. This is the question asked of me. Why did my child live and hers did not? Nothing was unhealthy about him. I was the photographer of the family, I took the photograph and was asked to keep it until she could look at it, to see her beautiful baby boy in his little white coffin, with the blue silk liner, with small white posies. I remember it being almost two years before I received a call from my brother asking me to bring home the picture. I was still in Boston, they were in SC. Retrieving the negative I had a new picture developed, my daughter and I flew home to give her the only picture of her baby she would ever have. Matthew. His name was Matthew Rodney. Blessed news also awaited me, she was expecting again. Praise God. She delivered another baby boy, healthy and happy. Another boy two years later. Now she has all granddaughters! This is my death picture story. I would do it again if someone asked it of me. It was an honor and a privilege to photograph that little angel. I visit his grave when I’m home in SC. In our little angel section of our cemetery.

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

I have a death photo of a baby who was a cousin several generations back, posed in a coffin that was set upright with an older living sister standing next to her.

[@GeorgiaGeorgette]

There are countless antique photographs claiming to have been taken post mortem when they categorically were not. Those featuring subjects standing, sitting up, or reclining, were not taken after death. The apparatus said to have been used to support dead bodies in different poses have been proven to have only been used on live subjects. Generally speaking, the only time a deceased person was posed to look alive was when they were made to look as though they were asleep, but as live people were photographed asleep this is still no guaranteed indicator of authenticity. Genuine post mortem photography almost exclusively features people on their deathbeds or coffins.

[@rooshijnen926]

Yesss thank youuu

[@GeorgiaGeorgette]

@@rooshijnen926 Thank you for your thank you! This myth really irks me.

[@rooshijnen926]

@@GeorgiaGeorgette right huh..me too..and people still continuing this bs.....i mean i like me some post mortem photos. But the real ones... and victorian style photos are amazing as they are....and do not have to be sold out as post mortem when they are not

[@rooshijnen926]

And to be precise...infants often could not hold still long enough and were sometimes drugged to take a photo...so photographs of sleeping infants are not always post mortem as well. Even the ones posing as sleeping in moms arms....these mostly were alive sleeping babies... and try not blinking for 60 seconds..yeah hard job...and completely not moving too...yeah...now thats to understand the awkward stiff photographs of children and adults.... as said. Most post mortem photos are in a coffin.. Sometimes on a bed. But it you really see it when a person is dead...

[@GeorgiaGeorgette]

@@rooshijnen926 Exactly.

[@purplevelociraptors3255]

I love learning about death photography 😍

[@qutiepie4107]

Why is it disturbing to have a photo of a beloved child? Having an image could be a source of great comfort.

[@cynthiagrayson7944]

Where were the actual examples of death photography? This is just clickbait.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

They cannot be used as youtube might give a strike against her channel for it. Enjoy the story… it’s still great content.

[@rooshijnen926]

Everyone saying youtube does not allow post mortem..bullocks...there are plenty of examples. And yes most of them of so called death people standing up etc. But those are never post mortem....

[@stephanieking4444]

Which period postmortem pictures did you study? None show in your video.

[@joannebeauchamp1169]

There was a very interesting book that was popular in the 1970’s called, “Wisconsin Death Trip,” showing graphic pictures of death photography, particularly featuring babies. This documentary really was lacking in showing anything pertaining to the actual death photography.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

And poorly researched.

[@violinistoftaupo]

If you look at post mortem photography from the perspective of the Victorians, they did not find it shocking at all. They wanted a record of their loved ones. Post mortem photography faded away as photography became more affordable.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

Wasn't that expensive but photography was new and initially there weren't many photographers, so if someone died before they had photos taken, a post mortem photo was better than no photo.

[@mr.doyogurl9367]

Where are the photos?

[@joejohnston3591]

Where were the dead? Every person pictured was alive and kicking!

[@dottiesuepisces3388]

No dead people here?

[@christineingram55]

It was odd for us..But when you think ,only very few people could afford cameras and it was rare to have photos taken.It was for many to have a photo for them to remember their loved ones by.A lot of the earl ones were mainly taken of the person,baby or child laying in their bed,on a piece of furniture or just in an open coffin.As ot became more popular they started posing the loved ones bodies and putting families with them too.The later ones you need to look very hard to see if they are being propped up.They got very clever at doing this.Much better than having family members covered in material pretending to be a chair.It became an art form in itself.I have photos of my parents,my husband and later my partner..They have all gone to Spirit.I know it would have been harder to grieve without the photos of my loved ones.I know mine were taken when they were well.But if you had no photos to remember them by .I think it would be so hard.That’s why I think the Victorians did this.I don’t think it’s weird I think for many it was to help them by having a piece of the loved one still with them….Love n Light 🥰

[@Floridad25]

I'm a costumed interpreter at a living history museum about the American West/Victorian era. You're absolutely right about why the Victorians wanted photos of their deceased loved ones. Victorians were the goths of the age and were quite enthusiastic about all things death-related and/or supernatural. Of course they wanted photos. Interestingly, some of the frames and equipment the photographers had were actually made to be used on the living, lol. Know how fidgety kids can it? The frames were made to HOLD THE KID STILL. I'm linking you an image. The girl on the far left clearly doesn't want her picture taken. Not only is she in a frame (metal loop thingie on her right side) but her father also had his arm around her waist, double locking her in place. You don't have to worry about fidgeting when the person you're photographing is...dead. www.historicalemporium.com/webimages/gallery_1850s_family.gif

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

@@Floridad25 you aren't even remotely correct. Post mortem photos were not as popular as the internet would like people to believe, and they are quite obvious with the decedent lying in repose in a bed or coffin. Then the photographer came to the home and took a photo. Period.

[@spider46531]

None of these are postmortem so why make this?

[@Floridad25]

These GRUESOME videos don't have enough HORRIFIC BUZZWORDS in their TRAGIC titles!

[@Jackie-rc6cj]

This was interesting, the comments are scary though. I think people of the Victorian Era were petrofied of death as they used to go to great lengths to ensure the ghosts didn't return. There are graves with cages over them from that era in case the dead started to get out. And I think certain people covered mirrors when people died. I could not tell in some of the photo's who was deceased and who was not. And especially with the smiling people. Thankyou for the great video.

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

Cages over graves were to prevent body snatching, not to prevent the dead from rising. People made money by removing fresh corpses and selling to medical schools, therefore the "cage." And Victorian post mortem photos were taken, but they were not common, and we're quite obvious, with the decedent lying in repose in a bed or coffin. If you are looking at a Victorian post mortem photo, and you can't tell who the deceased is, 9x out of ten, it is not a post mortem photo.

[@allie_Am]

It shouldn't be shocking because photography was still at it's infancy during these times, so some would have just one opportunity to have their photos taken, and during the Victorian era death was just around the corner so people would have a lot of practices that relates to dying such as memento mori and death photography is one of those. I am a fan of your videos but the title of this is just clickbaity and disrespectful to this practice since you're looking at it with 21st century eyes. Do better.

[@jackmedcalf6254]

It seems a little odd that you took on this topic but yet didn't show a single photo on the subject.

[@jacquesrenou2850]

No pictures of the deceased🙄😒

[@tolduso828]

So did you use any actual Victorian death images here?

[@england6013]

I don't think so

[@angelaangela1509]

interesting video good to know thanks

[@cynthiagrayson7944]

Clickbait.

[@RevLeigh55]

It’s more of a modern attitude to find death scary and creepy. People before the 20th century took it much more for granted.

[@karenharman7335]

HOW can you go on and on about Victorian mourning and show no mourning photography

[@nadiakerris1863]

Je ne comprends pas pourquoi on trouverai ces photos choquantes. Pour moi elles sont émouvantes.

[@rodolfoayalajr.8589]

Where are the dead?

[@lisapop5219]

It seems creepy now but I'm sure that if I was alive back then & could afford it, I would have done it.

[@ladyjane9980]

You know, your entire presentation smacks of an eight year-old's book report, and I take offense to every word that came out of your unprepossessing face. Memoto mortem was never considered horrific, strange or whatever you want us to think. Most people could not afford too have a family photo or one of their children made. The still new art form was very expensive to the public. Given the child mortality rate in the 1800's and diseases like tuberculosis and cholera taking young and old alike, photos were saved for when family members passed away. It was common and vert dignified and we had the same practice in the States and for a much longer period of time. I have an 8×10 of my Uncle, 18 months old taken by Pneumonia. He is wearing his christening dress and a solid silver cross was placed on his chest lain in a. white casket about three feet long. The photo was taken in his family home, in 1937. It is a beautiful remembrance that I will always have. You and your video are opprobrious. Shame.

[@cherylpurdue888]

They did it for memories .

[@Tomas-major]

Are all images of people that are passed away x I have heard of this but this is very interesting x

[@pawwalker3492]

NONE of these images are of people who had passed away. These are just excellent examples of Victorian photographs It's not true PM photographs unless the person is laid out, looking like they're asleep. The "frames" people believe hold up a deceased person are nothing more than mechanisms to hold a living person still. Exposure time made it imperative to hold still. Those frames could not hold up dead weight. People "propped up" in chairs with their head on their crook'd hand are not PM. Lots of misinformation out there (NOT here in this video) There's even a picture of a very-much alive Lewis Carrol usually used as an example - head propped up on his hand. His thousand-yard stare was typical for him. He had trouble making eye contact with people. Yet it's almost always included. _Remains To Be Seen_ and _Sleeping Beauties_ are two decent books.

[@Judyp77]

Which ones in the video are dead? All of them?

[@jennieferris]

Were are the photos????

[@steveamato4857]

My family still dies this, I don't know why.

[@jmorgan5252]

Death photos of the 1800s are all over the internet, but had you shown any of them in this video You tube would have been all over you. Thank you for doing the best you could without showing any photos

[@rray1953]

Wrong... There are plenty of those photos on KZbin... Just not on this stupid channel...

[@jackmedcalf6254]

Actually KZbin allows these pics for educational reasons.

[@rickfortine7454]

NONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS VIDEO ARE DEAD !!!

[@MickeyMousePark]

This History Channel video has them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXeVaqmZj7OAh7s&ab_channel=HISTORY

[@jakecavendish3470]

I actually don't find this "weird" at all. Maybe not what most of us in the western world do today (although certainly very like many other cultures today). Death could be very sudden and strike at any time. Today we often have more time to say goodbye, although obviously not always. A lot of people must have been devasted and wanting a ritual after death is a very understandable reaction to that. Especially so for women as they weren't encouraged to attend the funeral (even Queen Victoria didn't attend Albert's funeral). Also, photographing people after death seems a little strange to us but it was likely the only photograph you'd have of that person, someone who was well-photographed prior to death was less likely to be photographed after death unless they were famous. What is actually more disturbing is the modern terror of accepting death.

[@heathermason9311]

Very disappointed in this video, not a picture example in sight? There is soooo much more about Victorian death rituals that could have been included. Not the best work from this channel

[@Floridad25]

I counted at least 9 visibly dead people, so there ARE picture examples. All over the video. You just have to know what indicators to look for. Two of those babies at the seven minute mark are very dead.

[@heathermason9311]

@@Floridad25 That’s your opinion. I don’t see anything that indicates photos of the deceased, but thanks for sharing!

[@tolduso828]

@@heathermason9311 I agree. A bit clickbaity

[@teledan105]

They used to prop ‘em up with all kinds of crazy contraptions! With wire and wooden frames.

[@drumcheeny2828]

No they didn't. It's an absolute myth peddled to sell normal photos at ridiculous prices to the gullible.

[@teledan105]

@@drumcheeny2828 I know! It’s wilde! One photo I saw had the stiff guy standing up to look like he was waving, there was a plank behind his arm, and his fingers were wired to little sticks. You could see ‘em! And little hooks making him smile

[@irisheyesofbelfast]

No.....they did not. Pm photos are ONLY of deceased lying in repose.

[@teledan105]

@@irisheyesofbelfast it’s crazy, right? One time I saw this photo, from Victorian times, where they made it look like a dead guy dancing. They had a wooden frame, that you could see part of, with strings, making the corpse do a “knees-up”. And you could see little hooks making him appear to “smile”. One eye was painted on one eyelid so he “winked”! Nutty, right?

[@cynthiatowers1038]

Interesting 🤓

[@pixieatencio3548]

I mean cool but no actual Morten pics

[@caren234]

These photos are not of the photography you speak of

[@jethrobodine9155]

The slow upward scrolling of the photo is distracting. Many of these photos are Edwardian, not Victorian.

[@vanessamurphy4667]

None of these are post mortem.

[@MiddleClassWino]

All that and not one post mortem photo

[@louellacentina89]

Even in death, they're still dress to kill!😢

[@joannecoey7366]

that was long winded

[@ghostcityshelton9378]

Like said in the video here, it was a way that a person or persons to be remembered by. Very touching. Today there are people paying to be displayed in the ways they would like to be remembered. If they had been a boxer, the body would be surported by a stand, while 'standing' in a boxing ring step up. A lady would be shown playing cards, with an ash tray & pack of cigs, in a dineing room setting & a picture of the dead person while still alive would be on the table. I've also seen a picture of a grandmother sitting in her fave chair, looking like she's knitting, or a guy who loved motorbikes, had it arranged where after death he'd be shown on his fave bike. Then there are the different custom made coffens. Little planes, small boats, even having a coffen looking like a pack of cigs, a lady was burried in her fave real car. We might think all the above as 'odd', but that's what some have chossen as final requests & paid for ahead of time. So in Victorian times people wanted the same thing, just to be remembered,... and just to be able to see their loved one that's past on. I think it's sad and sweet and not strange at all.

[@pawwalker3492]

I really like your channel. But it's been proven that, like the opening photo, a dead body can not be posed. It can not stand up - it's dead weight. The braces used were to keep _living_ people still due to long exposure times. Most of what is thought memento mori are living people. Deceased people are usually lying down. If they're sitting you can see they're deceased - they can not be "posed". Babies held by covered mothers are alive. If they're looking like they're sleeping, and held by clearly seen parents, those are the first and last family photos of deceased children. These are facts, not opinion.

[@michelefritchie6198]

All the people in these photos are very much alive. If you're going to talk about death photography, please use actual photos of deceased people.

[@QuakerLady]

Interesting commentary, but not a single Death Photograph. I'd call this click-bait.

[@lunastar7599]

NO PICTURES!!!

[@fbjailbait557]

Did see any dead people

[@clintmacarthur7895]

People still do it. It’s not shocking at all. When and how did we become so withdrawn from death? Once upon a time we took care of it all, we just gave more responsibility to overpaid services.

[@davidkolaga8489]

Not one single example of the ostensible subject matter.... not one pic of a dead person

[@stoneymcneal2458]

This is a horrible video. The narration is redundant. The photographs are of the living, and NOT of the dead as implied by the video title. This video should be named Random Pictures of the Victorian Age.

[@CeruleanTalon]

I did not like that you misrepresented your video! You mixed so many living that it is impossible to tell the difference. This is very confusing. If I hadn't seen a few of the latter photos in other videos I wouldn't have known the difference. Some were actually of living babies and people of the day. Excellent narration of nothing that spoke of what you were narrating! Boo!

[@meltyberryashley]

I’m reading the comments here and everyone is saying the video was clickbait. While they’re not entirely wrong, there’s a reason why no actual postmortem photos were shown. While we may have wanted to see all that, remember the platform we are viewing this video on. KZbin is known to strike small channels for even the smallest mistakes and if this channel used actual postmortem photography in the video, we wouldn’t be watching it, because it would’ve been taken down. Stop assuming Her Remarkable History clickbaited us just for views, they did this because they didn’t want the video to get taken down. KZbin is showing to be a garbage platform as it is for allowing big channels to get away with breaking TOS but hunting down the small channels that make only one violation that can be easily fixed. Go ahead, dislike this comment all you want, criticize me all you want, but this is the truth. KZbin may even take this comment down but at this rate I don’t care. This channel isn’t the one that needs to do better, it’s KZbin that needs to do better.

[@hiho7847]

I feel you explained well. What is the big deal of a dead person's picture ? One probably can find them via Google. And are they not the same Company?

[@jackmedcalf6254]

KZbin allows Victorian pictures of the dead. This is do to the educational value it brings. There are plenty of vids on KZbin that show them.

[@luarena]

So bad click bait 😮

[@tonimastrofini3777]

Yawn....

[@ChasingTone666]

Waste of time. Stay clear. Huge thumbs down.

[@sandragrundy1516]

Another video misrepresenting their content. NO death photo's here although there are plenty on other channels. Boo too yoo.

[@margochristensen6359]

Why did they do this is a very good question. So macabre.

[@nanook8721]

Well, that was a lot about nothing… Thumbs down

[@pamelazandarski5868]

This is BS

[@susanmorgan8833]

It would be greatly appreciated if you could find a sponsor other than the quite tacky (offensive) one about the 'secret bathroom habit'. It is to the point where I should just not watch any video when it pops up as the advertiser on the site.

[@jenniferturi5927]

Didn't they rot and stink?

[@wordswithjhardy953]

Liar

[@LuisJMier-pv8sz]

Clickbait.