It's a Beautiful Mourning

I'm a Caitlin Doughty fangirl. A few years back, I read her book Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons From the Crematory. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I've always been interested in death rituals, specifically the Victorian customs surrounding death. Reading her books, watching her vlogs and meeting her in person has only reinforced my interest in the ways that different societies, past and present, have  perceived death and coped with loss.

This title came up in my suggestions on Amazon, and I knew I had to see it for myself.

Jack Mord's compilation of post-mortem photography gives readers a glimpse into the grim realities of Victorian era life. The title signifies not only seeing beyond a covering (so many people just think of the romance of the 19th century), but also alludes to mourning fashion as well as the practice of having a person who is covered or obscured, supporting the body of the deceased, especially infants. They are sometimes referred to as "hidden mothers."

Many families did not have regular access to photography, so sometimes the only photograph taken of a person, especially a child, was prompted by the need to memorialize him/her. The book itself boasts Victorian vanity, with elaborate script for the title, intricate designs stamped into the leather cover, and gilding on the page edges.

I won't show any of the images of people here, but one portion of the book which I found especially interesting is the chapter on how our animal companions were mourned and remembered. I knew that the Victorian preoccupation with death extended to animals; the examples from taxidermy from this era are amazing. They are so intricate and lifelike, and also life affirming in an ironic way, that they look more like illustrations for children's books than preserved animal tableaux:

                                   "Rabbits' Village School" circa 1888             "The Kittens' Wedding" circa 1890's

This photo postcard from 1915 is inscribed "Pippo, bello morto" ("Pippo, beautiful in death"). Of course we all know how painful it is when we lose our most loyal friends, but I can't help but smile a little to think Pippo's owner, lovingly arranging him and calling the photographer to come over and take a picture, treating her cat like a child. Who among us doesn't cherish our photos of our pets?

And this tiny little  coffin, circa 1875, created for a pet bird. It is made out of brass and marble, so we can assume that the family was pretty well off, if they can afford such an elaborate send off for Wee Wee the bluebird.

Wee Wee made out much better than my several hamsters, who got unmarked graves in my backyard.