Only the Creepiest Photo Ever Taken

"These photographs were a common aspect of American culture, a part of the mourning process. Surviving families were proud of these images and hung them in their homes, sent copies to friends and relatives, wore them as lockets or carried them as pocket mirrors. Nineteenth-century Americans knew how to respond to these images. Today there is no culturally normative response to postmortem photographs."

Yet the heartbreak of them is still poignant!

“Haunted When It Rains”

This sort of thing is still done in the Mexican community.

Also still done by many Hispanics. The first time I went to a funeral and saw the family bring out the camera it was a big shock to me. I soon accepted this mourning ritual.

After his funeral twelve years ago, someone asked me if I had taken a photo of my husband in his coffin. I was aghast at the thought. He committed suicide by a rifle shot to the head, and did NOT (as you can imagine) look like he did in life. The mortician did a fantastic job of piecing him back together for the children and I (and one of his brothers) to "say good bye "... but eeeewwww! Taking a picture? Not something I need a photo to remember!

However, I do wish I had a photo of my grandmother and new born baby uncle who were buried together (the baby in her arms) after they died in the Spanish Influenza epidemic in 1918. That would have been a beautiful, poignant photo.

Thanks for this clip!

Marcariel, I'm kind of in shock after reading your comment. I can't imagine having to go through the experience of losing a spouse. The image of my father when we buried is forever in my mind. I guess, for me, seeing the photos of him alive is a better memory, but I understand that we all mourn in different ways.

I hope that you had the support and care from family and friends during your loss. My heart goes out to you.

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Aribeth, thank you for the link - the title is chilling, and the photos are remarkable in so many ways.

My mom had pictures of a cousin and a few other relatives taken in their coffins. This was in Russia way back in the very early 1900's.

I went to the link Aribeth entered, how sad; posing with the babies and the little children. It must be so hard to lose a child. I can't even begin to imagine anything so tragic.

Very bizare photo's.
I can't imagine that someone takes pictures of people in coffins

chrispo84, there are cultures that can't imagine NOT doing so. It's all a matter of the social views on death.