Death has many different superstitions and odd traditions surrounding it, each culture trying to understand and deal with it in their own ways. In the late nineteenth century photography was just in it's beginning stages. Death in the home was a very ordinary part of life and post-mortem photography was a common part of this process; especially with infants and small children. These photographs served as keepsakes to remember the deceased, and in most cases were the only visual remembrance the family had. Most families preferred to have an image of a deceased loved one than no image at all. These images are both reverent and haunting at the same time.
The photographer would go to great lengths to pose the body to look they way they did when they were alive. They would either make them appear as if in a deep sleep, or they would prop them on stands or in chairs and paint their eyes open. Children where often photographed with a favorite toy and many times with their mothers. Since photography was still a luxury for most families, and it was a large chunk of money for them, they would use this opportunity to have a family portrait taken, with the deceased as the focal point.
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