The good times are killing me

tylergrrrl:

0nepieceatatime:

Post-mortem photos from the 1870s and 1880s. These photos are taken usually by the family of the departed. It was common practice to do this as photography was expensive and many did not have the money for photos in life. When a child died they wanted to remember their child so the photograph was taken.

The art of photography post-mortem would be perfected as to establish their own code. The pictures showed the deceased closely, usually half-length, being less common in the coffin photographs. The subject is arranged so that seems asleep, or at least that is truly alive, and wearing his best suit. In the case of priests, nuns and military, used to pose in their uniforms. Children are often shown in their cradle or their favorite toys... A lot of people think that this is strange but to me it is just a part of life and I find this very interesting.

It was also easier to photograph dead humans because this practice was before shutter speed was low enough for people to hold still long enough for a decent picture.

(via folk-punk)