32 Haunting Victorian Death Portraits

Officer Farva Published 06/10/2015

File these under "creepy as hell"

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1.
In Victorian Times, many families would take "death portraits" of recently-deceased family members.
2.
Photography was new, and expensive, so most regular folks didn't have pictures of their loved ones.
3.
Also known as "post-mortem photography," the practice flourished with people who wanted a keepsake of their deceased family members.
4.
Since infant and childhood mortality were so high, the subjects were often children.
5.
Many people preferred to have a photo of their dead relative than no photo at all.
6.
Death portraits often included the person's favorite things, like this sweet photo of a man with his dogs.
7.
Subjects could be posed as though they were asleep. The little girl on the right may have been sitting for this portrait for hours with her dead sister.
8.
Or they could be positioned so they didn't fall over.
9.
This photo includes the littlest child, who's being propped up to fall in line with her siblings.
10.
This man's arm is being used to hold up his head.
11.
The baby in this photo is actually sitting on someone's lap.
12.
It's hard to believe this guy is dead, he's standing with such an upright bearing.
13.
Someone is probably underneath that curtain to help this little boy stand.
14.
This incredibly tragic photo shows a whole young family who died together. They may have died in an accident, given their visible injuries.
15.
Even beloved pets could have death photos taken.
16.
Since the exposure time was so long, any movements would cause blurring in the photo. You can tell the woman in the middle is deceased because she's perfectly clear.
17.
This little one was posed to look asleep.
18.
This poor family lost two littles ones at the same time.
19.
This little guy is posed with his favorite toy, a stick and hoop.
20.
And this one likely had its eyes painted open.
21.
Some families would have cards made and mailed to relatives who lived far away.
22.
And a mother holding her child who died. It's sort of sad, but also sort of sweet.
23.
According to the note above the photo, this girl was photographed 4 days after her death, but she looks remarkably alive.
24.
Two years after death!
25.
Sometimes the portrait would be with the whole family.
26.
Flowers were a popular prop. This girl is beautifully posed as though she's arranging white roses.
27.
This young woman's pose looks pretty and natural, but her eyes don't look quite alive.
28.
The little girl on the right has had her hair cut short, suggesting that her baby brother died of a fever.
29.
This young woman seems to have been photographed in her wedding veil.
30.
This girl is posed with her eyes open, as though she had just looked up from her book.
31.
Here's the person who passed away, surrounded by loved ones.
32.
This poor man is looking down at his wife's face, perhaps for the last time.

1.
In Victorian Times, many families would take "death portraits" of recently-deceased family members.
2.
Photography was new, and expensive, so most regular folks didn't have pictures of their loved ones.
3.
Also known as "post-mortem photography," the practice flourished with people who wanted a keepsake of their deceased family members.
4.
Since infant and childhood mortality were so high, the subjects were often children.
5.
Many people preferred to have a photo of their dead relative than no photo at all.
6.
Death portraits often included the person's favorite things, like this sweet photo of a man with his dogs.
7.
Subjects could be posed as though they were asleep. The little girl on the right may have been sitting for this portrait for hours with her dead sister.
8.
Or they could be positioned so they didn't fall over.
9.
This photo includes the littlest child, who's being propped up to fall in line with her siblings.
10.
This man's arm is being used to hold up his head.
11.
The baby in this photo is actually sitting on someone's lap.
12.
It's hard to believe this guy is dead, he's standing with such an upright bearing.
13.
Someone is probably underneath that curtain to help this little boy stand.
14.
This incredibly tragic photo shows a whole young family who died together. They may have died in an accident, given their visible injuries.
15.
Even beloved pets could have death photos taken.
16.
Since the exposure time was so long, any movements would cause blurring in the photo. You can tell the woman in the middle is deceased because she's perfectly clear.
17.
This little one was posed to look asleep.
18.
This poor family lost two littles ones at the same time.
19.
This little guy is posed with his favorite toy, a stick and hoop.
20.
And this one likely had its eyes painted open.
21.
Some families would have cards made and mailed to relatives who lived far away.
22.
And a mother holding her child who died. It's sort of sad, but also sort of sweet.
23.
According to the note above the photo, this girl was photographed 4 days after her death, but she looks remarkably alive.
24.
Two years after death!
25.
Sometimes the portrait would be with the whole family.
26.
Flowers were a popular prop. This girl is beautifully posed as though she's arranging white roses.
27.
This young woman's pose looks pretty and natural, but her eyes don't look quite alive.
28.
The little girl on the right has had her hair cut short, suggesting that her baby brother died of a fever.
29.
This young woman seems to have been photographed in her wedding veil.
30.
This girl is posed with her eyes open, as though she had just looked up from her book.
31.
Here's the person who passed away, surrounded by loved ones.
32.
This poor man is looking down at his wife's face, perhaps for the last time.

In Victorian Times, many families would take "death portraits" of recently-deceased family members.

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32 Haunting Victorian Death Portraits

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NEXT GALLERY Police Find Secret Vault Beneath Perp's House

1. In Victorian Times, many families would take "death portraits" of recently-deceased family members.

2. Photography was new, and expensive, so most regular folks didn't have pictures of their loved ones.

3. Also known as "post-mortem photography," the practice flourished with people who wanted a keepsake of their deceased family members.

4. Since infant and childhood mortality were so high, the subjects were often children.

5. Many people preferred to have a photo of their dead relative than no photo at all.

6. Death portraits often included the person's favorite things, like this sweet photo of a man with his dogs.

7. Subjects could be posed as though they were asleep. The little girl on the right may have been sitting for this portrait for hours with her dead sister.

8. Or they could be positioned so they didn't fall over.

9. This photo includes the littlest child, who's being propped up to fall in line with her siblings.

10. This man's arm is being used to hold up his head.

11. The baby in this photo is actually sitting on someone's lap.

12. It's hard to believe this guy is dead, he's standing with such an upright bearing.

13. Someone is probably underneath that curtain to help this little boy stand.

14. This incredibly tragic photo shows a whole young family who died together. They may have died in an accident, given their visible injuries.

15. Even beloved pets could have death photos taken.

16. Since the exposure time was so long, any movements would cause blurring in the photo. You can tell the woman in the middle is deceased because she's perfectly clear.

17. This little one was posed to look asleep.

18. This poor family lost two littles ones at the same time.

19. This little guy is posed with his favorite toy, a stick and hoop.

20. And this one likely had its eyes painted open.

21. Some families would have cards made and mailed to relatives who lived far away.

22. And a mother holding her child who died. It's sort of sad, but also sort of sweet.

23. According to the note above the photo, this girl was photographed 4 days after her death, but she looks remarkably alive.

24. Two years after death!

25. Sometimes the portrait would be with the whole family.

26. Flowers were a popular prop. This girl is beautifully posed as though she's arranging white roses.

27. This young woman's pose looks pretty and natural, but her eyes don't look quite alive.

28. The little girl on the right has had her hair cut short, suggesting that her baby brother died of a fever.

29. This young woman seems to have been photographed in her wedding veil.

30. This girl is posed with her eyes open, as though she had just looked up from her book.

31. Here's the person who passed away, surrounded by loved ones.

32. This poor man is looking down at his wife's face, perhaps for the last time.

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1.
In Victorian Times, many families would take "death portraits" of recently-deceased family members.

2.
Photography was new, and expensive, so most regular folks didn't have pictures of their loved ones.

3.
Also known as "post-mortem photography," the practice flourished with people who wanted a keepsake of their deceased family members.

4.
Since infant and childhood mortality were so high, the subjects were often children.

5.
Many people preferred to have a photo of their dead relative than no photo at all.

6.
Death portraits often included the person's favorite things, like this sweet photo of a man with his dogs.

7.
Subjects could be posed as though they were asleep. The little girl on the right may have been sitting for this portrait for hours with her dead sister.

8.
Or they could be positioned so they didn't fall over.

9.
This photo includes the littlest child, who's being propped up to fall in line with her siblings.

10.
This man's arm is being used to hold up his head.

11.
The baby in this photo is actually sitting on someone's lap.

12.
It's hard to believe this guy is dead, he's standing with such an upright bearing.

13.
Someone is probably underneath that curtain to help this little boy stand.

14.
This incredibly tragic photo shows a whole young family who died together. They may have died in an accident, given their visible injuries.

15.
Even beloved pets could have death photos taken.

16.
Since the exposure time was so long, any movements would cause blurring in the photo. You can tell the woman in the middle is deceased because she's perfectly clear.

17.
This little one was posed to look asleep.

18.
This poor family lost two littles ones at the same time.

19.
This little guy is posed with his favorite toy, a stick and hoop.

20.
And this one likely had its eyes painted open.

21.
Some families would have cards made and mailed to relatives who lived far away.

22.
And a mother holding her child who died. It's sort of sad, but also sort of sweet.

23.
According to the note above the photo, this girl was photographed 4 days after her death, but she looks remarkably alive.

24.
Two years after death!

25.
Sometimes the portrait would be with the whole family.

26.
Flowers were a popular prop. This girl is beautifully posed as though she's arranging white roses.

27.
This young woman's pose looks pretty and natural, but her eyes don't look quite alive.

28.
The little girl on the right has had her hair cut short, suggesting that her baby brother died of a fever.

29.
This young woman seems to have been photographed in her wedding veil.

30.
This girl is posed with her eyes open, as though she had just looked up from her book.

31.
Here's the person who passed away, surrounded by loved ones.

32.
This poor man is looking down at his wife's face, perhaps for the last time.