MEMENTO MORI

While many things in life are unknown, an unfortunate certainty is its inevitable end. Throughout history, different cultures and societies have had their own unique approaches to this grim subject. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, had complex burial rituals, while during the medieval period religious thought, preoccupied with visions of heaven and hell, dominated much of western Europe. But perhaps one of the most interesting and peculiar cultures through which to examine our relationship with death is that of the Victorians. They were obsessed with the spirit world, ghosts and funeral culture. One of the most bizarre ways they demonstrated this was through the new art of post-mortem photography, which is literally what it sounds like: a photograph taken of someone after they’ve died. These photographs were a sensation in the latter half of the 19th century in Europe, the USA and Great Britain.

For context, however, it’s first important to delve a little deeper into the Victorian attitude towards death and explore some of their customs surrounding funerals. In the 19th century, in both Great Britain