Preserving the Dead: Postmortem Photographs and Funeral Practices in 19th-Century America

Abstract

The rise of the modern funeral industry in 19th-century America introduced new forms of visual display that were designed to eliminate signs of bodily decay, and these practices were remarkably similar to those of postmortem photographers, who similarly sought to give bodies a lifelike appearance prior to burial. Postmortem photography can thus be understood as a transitional stage toward the modern disappearance of death, yet this practice has not entirely gone away, as postmortem photographs are still used to preserve the dead by creating the illusion of presence rather than confirming the reality of absence.
Through a closer examination of the parallels between postmortem photographs and funeral practices, this article will explore the ways in which photography continues to mediate the experience of death and mourning.