torstai 10. marraskuuta 2016

Beyond the dark veil

The things that were normal before feel abnormal these days. As you may know it was quite conventional to immortalize a picture about a dead relative in the 19th and 20th century. People were willing to have a last memory about a person who was left this world behind. The pictures were often taken  together with a family where the deceased was among the living and these pictures were also displayed. Even people who wasn't rich invited a photographer to home. Nowadays the people photograph their dead relatives quite rarely and it would be macabre to see the picture about the dead on someone's wall. There is several reasons why people have forgotten the habit as urbanization, wars and the death is institutionalized. Nowadays people don't see their dead relatives because the professionals are taking care of them. The death is kind of a taboo and we want to remember our loved ones as living. 

Why I'm talking about the subject is this interesting art book which I bumped ages ago and eventually wanted to have it into my own book self: Beyond the dark veil: Post Mortem & Mourning photography from the Thanatos Archive.  

The book contains old quality vintage photographs about the people and also about the animals. There is interesting stories behind these pictures for not all demises were natural. 
My own favorite is the picture about Kellers: Three in one casket because that hides a shivery story. A woman killed her husband due to his misconduct, and their baby, and in the end herself. And in spite of all they were buried together. That's odd!
I decided to share this book with you because I thought there might be people who want to hear about it. I also understand if some of you think this is too much, and I'm sorry if your eyes saw something they didn't want to. 

10 kommenttia:

  1. Sain itse tuon samaisen kirjan viime jouluna poikaystävältä lahjaksi, ja tykkäsin kyllä kovasti. :) Hän ei itse välittänyt kirjasta ollenkaan, mutta ymmärrän kyllä ettei aihe ihan kaikkia kiinnosta. :D

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Hieno lahja ;) Eipä tainnu tuo munkaan mies ihan hirveesti innostua, kun tätä joskus sille esittelin...

      Poista
  2. Todella kiinnostavan oloinen kirja! Mielenkiintoista ylipäätään miten kuoleman rooli on muuttunut kulttuurissa vuosien saatossa.

    VastaaPoista
  3. This is beautiful! I want it for my self. :)

    VastaaPoista
  4. how fabulous... back in the day people would often take photos of the dead posed upright as momento mori's... its interesting the fascination with death through out time and cultures. I love the Victorian form of taking loved ones locks of hair and putting the in jewelry...

    VastaaPoista