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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Brittaya on Tuesday 19 June 12 00:21 BST (UK)
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This is a photo of my husband's great, great grandmother. I've done some reading about post mortem photography and apparently it wasn't uncommon in the Victorian era to take photos of people who had passed on. Now I'm quite certain the woman in this photograph is dead, because she's looking down or her eyes are closed and she looks awkwardly posed. His family however, thinks I am crazy. Of course they don't know much about history, and I think they are just creeped out by the idea of a dead person in a photograph. So I'm just wondering if anyone on here can tell if she is alive or dead. She died in 1929 and there's no date on the photo, her son would have been 29 when she died (the man in the photo). So maybe dating would help? Thanks everyone.
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I think she is a live one Brittaya,or he is a cool one calmly having a fag sat next to her.
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Perhaps. I might be off my nut haha. I just think she looks "off" like how one shoulder is slanted down and the other up, but perhaps she was just really old and having trouble holding herself even.
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I Think....you may, be right. At first sight i would not have given a thougt,but
, when mentioned,Yes......I don't yhink she is that interested in the daily news either or the result of the first race.
Kia Ora ,
Carl.
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And is it just me or does her left eye look sort of sunken in?
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........ and she's sitting up straight, holding her book, the jaw hasn't dropped ........ BOO!........ yup, that's done the trick ;D
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Yeah but they had stands to hold people in place, and rigor mortis begins with eyelids, neck and jaw so her jaw could have been closed from rigor before they posed her.. Still could have been a "let's squeeze in one last photo before she passes" kind of photo.
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No strings attached :-\
Time for my bed now, goodnight all.
Carol
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She is most definitely alive! :)
They would not have propped her up like that, reading a book, if she had passed on. It was very unusual to have the dead in "living" poses when photographed, sometimes children were held or sat next to a sibling but usually they are obviously deceased - lying down, sometimes in a casket, usually with flowers.
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And by 1929 the Victorian thing about posing the deceased had pretty well passed....although at Irish wakes it was still going on apparently, even into the 1970s and maybe later. But in the mainstream, no.
I agree this lady doesn't look well :P
Cheers,
China
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She's just old ;D
My nana looked similar towards the end of her life - she died aged 98.
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She is most definitely alive! :)
They would not have propped her up like that, reading a book, if she had passed on. It was very unusual to have the dead in "living" poses when photographed, sometimes children were held or sat next to a sibling but usually they are obviously deceased - lying down, sometimes in a casket, usually with flowers.
I totally agree - and I'd written almost the same thing, but it wouldn't post during the RC troubles!!! ;D ;D My RC troubles have been going on since about 8.30am ;)
- glad you said it Prue!!
Wiggy :)
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She's just old. Nothing about that picture suggests a dead person to me, particularly as you say she died after 1929.
Of course she might not even be very old- perhaps she's recovering from a very good night out! I've occasionally felt like she looks.
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I just darkened this a bit - and I think her eyes are actually open and looking at the photo - just faded with age!
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It's a lovely photo. The lady is definitely alive and old photographs often conveyed messages of status and ability. The man's clothing shows he had a bob or two and I think the book she is holding says that she was able to read. My grandmother was born in 1884 when it cost tuppence to go to school. Was she 'well read'? Was she a school teacher at some time? It's a shame we can't read the book's title as it might give further clues.
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This is a mort photo I've posted before,notice the inability to sit up straight or hold a book.
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Let's hope the living boy in that photo wasn't too traumatised by having to prop his dead sibling up for a photoshoot!
I know attitudes were different then but he doesn't look very happy.
Mike
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The right hand looks odd and bigger than her left...as though someone is holding her hand up?
Carol
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Let's hope the living boy in that photo wasn't too traumatised by having to prop his dead sibling up for a photoshoot!
I know attitudes were different then but he doesn't look very happy.
Mike
Hi Mike,he doesn't look happy poor kid.I guess we find it distasteful and slightly sinister nowadays but I suppose this would be the only photo for the family to remember the poor girl.
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Mornin' Carol :)
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Mornin' George :D...I want a P.M. photo...been looking for one for ages ::) ;D ;D
Carol
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......notice the inability to sit up straight or hold a book.
I liked that observation.
Her hands look fine to me. I think there's a bit of mass delusion going on here.
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You are entitled to your own opinion Mike...and so are we ::)
Carol
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Quite right! And one of the problems with internet communications is that it's sometimes hard to get the tone right - my post certainly wasn't meant to sound insulting and, if it did, I wholeheartedly apologise.
Mike
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Agree definitely alive.This was taken early 20th.C when post mortem photos were pretty much dead & buried if you'll excuse the pun.She looks to have arthritis in her hands giving her this odd pose.Also this doesn't have the more solemn surroundings of most PM's.
jim
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I'm voting for 'alive' too. It looks like just a casual family snapshot.
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Thanks for your help everyone, guess she was just in awful shape. Remind me not to let anyone take pictures of me when I look like that.
Britt
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Thanks for your help everyone, guess she was just in awful shape. Remind me not to let anyone take pictures of me when I look like that.
Britt
Gosh I don't think she looks that bad. She is obviously very elderly and looks like she is just relaxing and reading a book (without glasses so her eyesight must have been ok) and someone has taken a candid shot of her. I think she looks fine.