Memento Mori Photographs

[Suu]

Aren't you guys glad that we don't live in the Victorian period anymore? Happy early Halloween! 

(But really, some of these are kind of cool, in a very creepy "Hey that's a dead guy" sort of way.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misty_bee/sets/72157626699396884/

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Victorians were WEIRD. Besides this, they were into wearing jewelry made from dead peoples' hair, or giving people bouquets that were coded messages, usually sexual because YOU NEVER EVER TALKED ABOUT THAT.

These are different from most that I've seen, a lot of them have their eyes open.
How did they get the fireman(?) to stand up, I wonder?

[Trivial]

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

There are a couple of photograph books of these which were very popular in the 90's. The ones with kids always creeped me out.

[Suu]

They had some pretty elaborate rigging JUST TO GET DEAD PEOPLE TO LOOK ALIVE.

They would also remove their eyes and replace them with glass ones, then GLUE THEIR EYES OPEN. They really had a very odd obsession with death. Then again, a photograph was still cheaper than a painted portrait, and sometimes the only way you could still get a photograph was if it was memento mori, because it would be cheaper. The dead don't move, so you don't have to worry about people sitting still for 10 minutes to an hour depending on the plate type.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

  I think in that same situation, I'd JUST REMEMBER how they looked. Ack.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

They had some pretty elaborate rigging JUST TO GET DEAD PEOPLE TO LOOK ALIVE.

They would also remove their eyes and replace them with glass ones, then GLUE THEIR EYES OPEN. They really had a very odd obsession with death. Then again, a photograph was still cheaper than a painted portrait, and sometimes the only way you could still get a photograph was if it was memento mori, because it would be cheaper. The dead don't move, so you don't have to worry about people sitting still for 10 minutes to an hour depending on the plate type.

Ohhh that's how they made the eyes look alive! That was the creepiest part.