Little Drummer Girl
A Posthumous Mourning Portrait
Sarah A. Lawrence of 119 Hudson Avenue
Green Island, Albany County, New York
Daguerreotype 1/6 plate, tinted, circa 1847
Posed as if she is still alive, this spectacularly tinted daguerreotype must have been the
only photograph ever taken of this young girl. Certain conventions, such as flowers in
one hand or a recumbent pose, are typical of early postmortem portraiture, and were not
generally used in portraits of the living. The cloth behind this girl is another fairly good
sign of a postmortem photograph; the wrinkles in it show she was lying down or propped
up against it. Images of adults and children can often be identified as postmortems by the
blanket, sheet or other cloth placed beneath the body so as to absorb any secretions.
Most postmortem photographs can be considered under the fine art category of “mortuary
paintings.” In these art works the dead are portrayed on their deathbed, bier or other
recognized death scene. This photograph is an example of another recognized fine art
category—posthumous mourning painting, in which the dead are depicted as if they were
alive.
Man Holding Dead Wife, ‘Till Death Do Us Part’
Pennsylvania/New Jersey Family
Daguerreotype 1/6 plate, circa 1845
This dead woman is firmly held by her husband in their last worldly embrace. Having
exchanged vows before photography was discovered, this image serves as the only visual
document of their marriage. It is a visual presentation of the marriage vow, ‘Till death do
us part.”
This daguerreotype may be considered an extremely unusual representation of the
posthumous mourning photograph—depicting the dead as if still living. Here the
husband enters the deathbed scenario to hold his wife as if she is alive.
“Death’s Seal on that Cherub Brow”
Daguerreotype 1/9 Plate, circa 1852
The death of a child is the most devastating of all losses. Parents often created beautiful,
blissful visual scenes with flowers and other aesthetically pleasing objects for their
child’s memorial portrait. As a further complement to cased postmortem images, poems
were at times pinned to the mat. Here, the photographer sealed the poem within the
frame.
Little Girl on a Purple Couch
William Snell, Salem, Mass.
Daguerreotype 1/6 plate, tinted, circa 1854
In order to make the deathbed setting seem softer and less horrific, parents often had the
daguerreotypes tinted. The delicate colors, especially faint blush to the child’s cheeks,
created an attractive tableau. By the 1880s, beautifying the coffin or deathbed scene
came into vogue. Flowers, wreaths, veils, candles, doves and other items adorned the
deceased. By the end of the century, the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ tableau had become common.
Father Gazes at Child
Engraved in Plate: A. Le Blondel Lille
Dag. ¼ plate, tinted, circa 1850
Considered one of the most artistic of all postmortem images. The lighting resembles
that of an old master painting: the subtle tinting of the child’s face and the blanket and the
shadowed position of the father have the attributes of fine art. The dark room further
shrouds the father, helping create an atmosphere of mourning. The tented sheets above
the bed makes this a forerunner of the “Sleeping Beauty” type of postmortem imagery.
Old Woman with Discharge from Nose
Tintype 1/6 plate, circa 1857
Great effort was usually made to make children more attractive for postmortem portraits.
Adults’ faces in early postmortem photography were not often cleaned after initial
preparation of the body. Many believed that death should not be beautified, but shown in
its natural, often horrific, state. This lack of cosmetic concern could reflect the ‘terror of
death,’ a belief held by many religious sects that death is terrifying. Though this elderly
woman was photographed with her eyes open, as if alive, she has bloody discharge
running from her nose. By the end of the 19th century, as professionals took over the
mortuary business, cosmetic enhancements became the established standard.
Woman Cradling Dying Son
Dag. 1/6 plates circa 1847
When death was imminent, photographers were often summoned to capture a likeness of
the dying person. If time and money allowed, a series of photographs were taken. This
mother holds her dying son while he takes his last breaths. The images are a poignant
memorial of a mother’s efforts to keep her son’s memory alive.
Child in red shirt on Windsor Rocking Chair
Dag. 1/6 plate, tinted, circa 1856
Most postmortem photography of children was enhanced by preparing the child to appear
beautiful, or at least resting peacefully. However, sometimes the agony of the final
disease and its destruction of the body dictated displaying the true nature of the child’s
condition. This child’s shirt was painted bright red, perhaps to detract from his
appearance, but more likely it was added as “fancy” decoration for the beloved child.
One of the least expensive ways to decorate children’s postmortem images was to paint
their clothes pink, red, or blue. Rarely were other colors used.
John Peter Bailey, Company F, 6th Ohio Cavalry with His Mother & Father
Tintype 1/6 plate, tinted, march 31, 1865
Mr. & Mrs. Bailey pose with their son, a Union soldier and victim of the Confederate
prison system. Bailey enlisted as a Sergeant in the Cavalry in 1863. He was captured on
October 1, 1864, and incarcerated in the notorious Salisbury, North Carolina prison
camp. He was paroled and given over to Union authorities on February 28, 1865, and
then hospitalized at Annapolis, MD for 10 days. Granted a furlough on March 20th, he
returned home and died there from the effects of starvation and intestinal disease.
Sergeant Bailey succumbed just nine days before Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9,
1865, ending the Civil War. The Civil War resulted in more casualties than all three
American wars combined up to Vietnam. Over 625,000 Americans died—one in four
who served. Most of the soldiers were buried in cemeteries around the battlefield or near
hospitals in which they died. These photographs are the only known postmortem
memorial images of a Civil War soldier in uniform.
Spirit Photograph, Man and His Departed Family
William Mumler (attributed), Boston
Solar print 11 by 14 inches, tinted, circa 1868
In mid-1862, Boston photographer William Mumler introduced the “spirit photograph.”
Many believed that photography was a magical process and that the “spirits” in the
images were actually pictures of the dead. It was noted by most, however, that
photography often captured the “spirit” of the person, but not actual spirits. For about
twelve years, spirit photography captured the public’s imagination, and thousands of such
prints were produced. Made well into the twentieth century, spirit photographs were for
the most part montages produced from multiple negatives and positives. During the
1860-1870 Civil War era, spirit photographs allowed a softer presentation of a family
death. We would like to believe that the loved ones we’ve lost are happy somewhere,
watching over us. Both the living and the dead are brought together. Here a husband is
being watched over by his wife and children. The large size and elaborate frame of this
photograph indicate it was meant to have a prominent place in the household.
Girl Dead Several Days
Frederic Gutekunst, Philadelphia
Ambrotype, 1/6 plate, circa 1865
Photographing the deceased was done as soon as circumstances allowed. This girl’s
photograph was taken more than a week after death and her extreme state of
decomposition is evident. At times, a photographer was not readily available because the
family lived far from town. In situations such as these, it wasn’t uncommon for families
to bring the deceased to the photographer. For parents in denial of their child’s state, the
time elapsing between death and the taking of the photograph could be very long indeed.
Memorial Collage of Black Family
Tintype 8x10 inches, oil paint, circa 1875
The introduction and popularity of collage photography in the 1870’s allowed families to
create memorial photographs with every family member present—even those who had
died decades before. The deceased daughter of this couple looms larger than life in the
middle of the picture. The ghostlike image was superimposed on the photograph of her
parents.
Girl with Doll Surrounded by Flowers
Cabinet Car, circa 1890
In the 1880s, postmortem photography changed. It became important to beautify the
death scene. Surrounding the body with flowers was the first beautification effort, but
flowers also helped mask the odors of death.
Black Mourning Cabinet Cards
Lillie M. Sund, Died Feb. 14 1903
Charles W. Wentworth, Died Nov. 17, 1906
Several companies made these memorial cards, popular from the 1880s through the
1920s. Women all over America were hired and paid about one cent per piece to cut out
local newspaper obituaries and send them to the card companies. The memorial card
companies then send the bereaved a personalized sample card and order form. Numerous
variations and sayings were available if the family didn’t like the sample card. Some
cards had a space for a photograph, usually a living image of the deceased.
Sleeping Beauty, a Child Rests at Home
Silver Print 6 x 7 ¾ inches, circa 1901
In some images, the deathbed or casket was draped with a lace canopy to make it look
like a bed in which a person was simply sleeping. This softened death scene was the
beginning of the dying of death in America. The harsh, close-up postmortem photograph
gave way to a beautified somber death scene. This particular scene was created in the
home. By 1910, the home parlor was renamed the “living room” and the funeral parlor
had become the place where most bodies were viewed.