The Unsettling Poignancy of Victorian-era Post Mortem Fotos...

Considered macabre by some & purely depraved by others. There is a cadre of the modern faction that appreciates memento mori. I'm one of the latter faction, in that I appreciate mementos mori of all sorts.

Cameras were as rare as hens teeth in general Victorian society. Imagine it: illness & death sweeping through entire towns with a vengeance which was likely surreal & common-place all at once. Families who the week prior were dining at table together, deceased en masse due to yellow fever, influenza & the like. Capturing the last image of a loved one...& a lock of hair was quite a natural action.

In the case of these fotos, there are alternately deceased people & deceased dogs shown. Sip your tea & figure out which is which & who is who.