Victorian Postmortem Photos
The Myth of the Stand Alone Corpse
Questions & Answers
Below you'll find some common questions that people ask about the stand alone postmortem myth.
Q: Why do so many people believe in the stand alone postmortem photo myth?
A: The Internet can take the brunt of the blame. The "Information Highway" is increasingly becoming the "Misinformation Highway" as sites supported by advertising, like BuzzFeed, HubPages and Flickr, become increasingly popular. These sites will let any registered user put up any kind of article as long as it draws traffic to their site because they get paid by the click. Many registered users like to make up , or pass on, the sensational rumors they pick up, and they then build articles around them. These articles, which are full of myths and unresearched speculation, are then passed on as verified fact to Interent users who, in turn, pass on the information in chat rooms and on social sites.
Sites like eBay and Etsy also pass on misinformation when it comes to this subject. Merchants have discovered that people will pay big money for Victorian photos of deceased subjects. They also promote the stand alone postmortem so they can charge more money for photos that they claim feature the deceased, when they do not. They may also make up a story to go with the photo to try to find more buyers. Beware the eager merchant!
And then there is the social website Pinterest... Sometimes people see an interesting photo on the web, erroneously speculate that the person in the photo is dead, and then they Pin it to their page with an incorrect caption. Within a week, hundreds of people may RePin the photo, helping the misinformation to spread like wildfire.
Q: So, who are you and why should I listen to what you have to say about it?
A: We are actually a small group of people who have banded together to try to help stop the misinformation being spread about postmortem photos. Together we have quite a bit of research and experience under our belts. We include someone who has worked in Victorian collections at a major museum, someone who has experience in period photography, a college history professor, a person who has been collecting Victorian postmortem photos for over 30 years, and someone who does research for a living.
Q: It was so long ago and everyone has their own opinion about postmortem photos. Why don't you respect my opinion?
A: This is not a subject that lends itself to opinion. We have no factual information to prove that posing stands were ever used to prop the dead up into standing positions for life-like photographs. And physically, it seems impossible. As a result, we must believe the reverse was true. Victorian times were not that long ago. Some of us have grandparents who were born during Victorian times. We actually knew Victorians. Photographers have passed down how they made postmortem photos and that information can be found with a little research. Nothing has ever been found about them using posing stands to prop up the dead. We do respect what other people have to say on this subject, just please back up your information with some good research. Quoting a BuzzFeed article is not going to impress anyone.
Q: Why would anyone need a posing stand to take a photo?
A: The purpose of the posing stand was to help live people keep still for long shutter exposures that could last up to a minute. In Victorian times, the slightest movement could ruin a photo. The posing stand helped people keep steady. For more info about the posing stand visit: http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/noye/Misc/Headrest.htm
Q: What do they mean by "Victorian" anyway? Does that just mean old times?
A: No, Victorians were the people who lived during the reign of Queen Victoria of England. It was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death, on 22 January 1901. As far as postmortem photos go, sometimes people tend to bend these dates a bit. And yes, people who lived during this time in America were also called "Victorians".
The twin on the left is blurry because he does not have a posing stand helping to hold him still like the twin on the right.
This live fireman is being held still with a posing stand, like in the illustration on the right.
Q: Sometimes people in photos who have those stands behind them look stiff, and they have dark areas under their eyes or hands. They can also look pale. If they are not dead, are they sick?
A: People look stiff because, in many cases, a stiff pose is easier to hold for a long shutter exposure than a relaxed one. Photographers often would set the pose for the subject to hold.
The flash apparatus used with cameras is to blame for dark circles under the eyes and uneven lighting. Sometimes they would even misfire and cause the subject to look very dark. Flashes were also quite startling and could cause a look of surprise on the subject's face.
Here is a link to a video demonstration of an old flash:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=92042960&m=92042970
Q: I like the creepy idea of standing dead people. Besides, they are all dead now, so why should I care if the photos are identified as postmortem, even if they aren't?
A: We think these people deserve some respect. They were living, breathing human beings with families and lives. Would you want your photos, or those of your family members, mislabeled as postmortem for all eternity? And besides, there is enough misinformation out there, why add to it?
Q: If there is a "Ghost Mom" in the photo, then the child is dead. Why did they cover themselves up like that?
A: Mothers often covered themselves with a blanket or curtain because they did not want to be in the photo. We think it is strange now, but then it was an accepted practice. And, 95% of draped moms held live children. They were there to help keep squirmy children still during long shutter exposures. Ebay dealers tend to name all Ghost Mom photos postmortem so they can ask more money for them. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between a live and dead child as you can see below.
Live children with draped mom.
Deceased child held in lap of draped mother.
Deceased child being held up by someone behind the curtain.
Lively little girl has blurry hand from motion.
Q: Do you have any photos of a live person being photographed with a stand?
A: Every time you see a stand, or stand base, in a photo you can correctly assume that the person is alive. We love the photo below because it shows the photographer and exactly how the stand is being used with the live child .
Q: This one HAS to be dead, right?
A: Actually, no. She has fainted and the other lady is trying to give her smelling salts. Well bred women in Victorian times were thought to be very delicate and so they would swoon at the slightest cause. She might swoon if someone swore, if she saw blood, if she saw a mouse or if someone said something unkind to her. It wouldn't take much.
Smelling salts are chemical compounds used for arousing consciousness. They would be put under the fainter's nose, and the amonia-like smell would rouse them.
Q: Some of the photos on my postmortem Pinterest board have people commenting on them saying that they are "modern fakes". What is a "modern fake"?
A: There are some present day photographers, and artists, who like to try to recreate Victorian postmortem photos. They use various methods that can include live models, Photoshop, some of their own artwork, and various props to make these photos appear to be Victorian. Some are so convincing that people believe they originated in the Victorian era, but they did not. They are modern fakes. Below you will find some examples.
This is not a Victorian photo, note her fingernails and make up. This is a modern art photo by Lizzie St. Septembre. The subject was alive.
This is a rather crude modern fake, but it is still found as a real Victorian postmortem photo on many boards. Her hair and make up are wrong for that era. They have also overdone the fake aging of the photo.
This is labeled as a "Memento Mori" on some sites but it is really a modern fake by Cunene. Deviant Art has a whole section of these live models who are pretending to be Victorian dead.
Here is the contrived story that is often found with this photo: "This is a postmortem portrait. On the back of the picture it has the inscription : Pieter, he fell off his pony and left me to mourn, now his likeness I carry so I shant be fororne." It is actually a fake story for a wooden doll created by Kamila Mlynarczyk. You can tell the photo is modern and that the doll looks nothing like the portrait.
Q: Why does this woman look so unconcerned while holding her dead child?
A: She looks unconcerned because the child was alive and asleep. It was common for women to hold their children in their skirts like this to let them sleep. It was also common for people to wait until their toddlers were asleep to take their photos. Why? Because a squirmy child resulted in a blurry photo. A pose had to be held perfectly still for 30 to 45 seconds to come out clear.
You will also see Victorian family portraits with sleeping children in them. They are always babies or toddlers. It is thought that mothers would sometimes even give their babies a taste of laudanum to make them sleep. This would insure a still baby, or toddler, and a crisp, focused photo. Please do not assume that a Victorian child with its eyes closed is dead.
