Art Twistory: Postmortem Photography

This presentation is about the rise and fall of postmortem portraiture, most prominent during the Victorian era. Why did people photograph the corpses of their loved ones, and why aren’t such photos prevalent anymore? What vicissitudes of human culture precipitated this blip on the radar of art historians? Where does it fit into the catalogue of Art History? A warning to the squeamish: while none of the vintage photographs presented here are particularly gruesome, all of the subjects are dead. Cost: $10 donation appreciated, $5 students and seniors. No reservations necessary.