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Originally Posted by eb54 ↗

Don't take living in our time for granted. Death was so common then, poor babies.

Most of these photos are not post mortem, and the post mortem photos are obvious.

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Originally Posted by Ninjavandal ↗

Odd. Very odd.

Not really if you think about it. Photography was new and initially there were few photographers. With mortality rates so high, people often died before they could have a photo taken, and post mortem photos better than no photos. They weren't exactly common, and they were quite obvious.

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Originally Posted by K53 ↗

I don't like this custom

It wasn't necessarily a custom, and they were taken for one reason, there were no other photos of that person.

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Originally Posted by URBANXENTITY ↗

imagine if they did that still? lol hauling your dead family member through the food court of the mall to get to "photo phantastic" hahahahahaa

Wakes were in their home. When someone died, family bathed and dressed the decedent then laid them in repose in a bed or coffin, THEN the photographer came to the home and took a photo, as they were lying in repose.

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Originally Posted by carkees ↗

Sometimes it's even hard to see who's the dead one....

No it is not hard to see who is dead, the dead will be lying in repose in a bed or coffin. It is a myth they posed the dead to appear alive.

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Originally Posted by Lobsterbird ↗

Poor little girl in that first one...with the dead arm around her shoulder.

Have you ever seen a dead person other than at a funeral? That isn't a post mortem photo. He probably blinked at the time the photo was taken.

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Originally Posted by Stephaniee ↗

They look so.. alive. Nice job.

Because they are alive. The only true post mortem photos are those where the decedent is lying in repose.

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Originally Posted by big raymie ↗

This one freaks me out a little....

Why? She isn't dead. Those are not dead eyes, and no they didn't paint eyes on eyelids to look alive.

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Originally Posted by morti ↗

Intensely beautiful. The last one seems out of place, like something from the Picture People at the Mall.

Baby isn't deceased. This is one of MANY mislabeled photos.

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Originally Posted by papa smurf ↗

Are you sure these are all post mortem? Some look a little too lively to my eyes. Think about the logistics in the 19th century of getting one of these images done..Its not like every family had a camera handy.. 'Look Ma cedric has gone to meet the lord!.'... 'Quick now Oliver, Grab your brothers, get dressed in your Sunday best.. Its time for one more family pic before his eyes glaze over and he starts to stink the place up'.. 'Gertrude go and rouse Mr Kodak the local photographer tell him we need him here with the utmost urgency' .. hmmm some are definitely as described others i think not..still a great post

The only true post mortem photos are obvious with decedent lying in repose.
Good catch.