After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal Victorian Death Photography: Postmortem Posers
Nov 23, 2023
Author Brandy Schillace joins Maddy and Anthony to discuss the unsettling Victorian art of death photography, exploring the reasons behind posing deceased loved ones in family portraits. They examine the visibility of death in Victorian society, the challenges in distinguishing between the living and deceased in postmortem photography, and the intention behind hiding the fact that subjects had already passed away.
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Formative Personal Encounters With Death
- Brandy Schillace grew up near a cemetery and experienced death early in life, shaping her interest in death studies.
- She recounts listening at her parents' door as a child and losing relatives from age seven onward.
Photography Made Likenesses Accessible
- Early photography made life-like images affordable but required long, still poses and chemical plates.
- Families used postmortem photos to obtain likenesses they otherwise could not afford while the person was alive.
Mourning As Social Fashion
- Victorian mourning became a visible, codified social language signalled by clothes and accessories.
- Queen Victoria's prolonged mourning helped popularize a market for mourning goods and social pressure to conform.