Posted 13 years ago
antiquesar…
(136 items)
I found this tin type in a family bible that I have inherited. I know he's a relative, but I don't know exactly who. After taking a closer look at the photo, I noticed the props at his feet. Then after a bit of research I found out that it was a post mortem tin type. Is there a specific reason why these photos were taken? Was there a time frame that these photos were taken? I am trying to identify this man in my family tree and an answer to these questions and any other knowledge about post mortem tin types would be of great value to me!!
As I gather, any people didn't have money to pay for photographs when they were living and only got the chance to get a photograph a lot of the times only post mortem. You see a lot of these with mothers holding their babies or small children propped up. I haven't seen many with adults. It is kind of morbid to think of it these days.
Thanks for the comment. From what I understand, they were fairly common back then. Do you know if everyday people got it done when they died? I know a lot of soldiers did, but I am wondering if just anybody could have it done. Like you said small children did, but I'm wondering about the elderly or average citizens.
I was excited when I found another picture of a relative, but once I found out it was post mortem, I am not sure I want to know who this is.
Your tintype does NOT depict a post mortem.
What you see is a stand that had a brace on the back to hold the head still. In this era the photographic exposure times were longer than modern and the slightest movement is picked up in the final image.
These stands were not strong enough to support body weight of a dead person.
Scott
Great!! Thank you Scott. This information makes my day, I was hoping this wasn't post mortem. So this stand at his feet holds the head still so that bluring doesn't occur? That makes sense, I didn't think he looked dead, but his hand looks so lifeless, just resting there on the chair.
Thanks So Much!!!!!
Great! Thanks for the confirmation AR8Jason!!
Whew. I was totally spooked by your ancestors friendly expression if he had already passed. That would have been quite a mortician. Now you have to let us know how your research goes.
Very interesting Scott. Thought that would be hard to hold up the weight of an adult and have him look so alive lol.
There is a problem with post mortem photographs on ebay.
A PM will normally bring considerably more than just a person sitting or standing. Many of these "standing PM" images have sold on ebay for good money and I haven't seen a real one yet.
Many of the dead baby PMs are sleeping children.
If anyone has an interest in PM photography, do some research before spending some money (esp. on ebay). I would recommend:
http://thanatos.net/
Scott
Again, THANK YOU so much for your help Scott!!
The person that I thought this was, lived from 1821-1878. Were tin types done in that time frame?
This particular image dates from the 1870s at the earliest.
Since the subject doesn't look anywhere near 50 years old, I'd say it is someone else.
Scott
Great Scott. I'll do some searching on that side of my family tree. Thanks so much for your help on this photo. I greatly appreciate it!!
I was glad to help.
MOST tintypes that you find today are from the mid 1850s- 1900. There were novelty tintypes made after that time and some are still made today. Most tintypes can be narrowed to a more specific time period. Size, cases, backdrops, pose, and subjects clothing are SOME of the factors used to further narrow that 50 year span.
Scott
Look up the term "Moment Mori". You can find books on post mortem photography this way. In the late 18 hundred's to the early 19 hundred's funerals were normally held in the parlor of a person's home. Funeral parlors where rare in small towns except for the big cities where home funerals for not convenient. Big cities were the reasons that funeral parlors thrived. During the years mentioned above it was very common as a memorial to where lockets and display pictures in your home of you and your family with a deceased loved one(s). In the early 19 hundred's during the Look up the term "Moment Mori". You can find books on post mortem photography this way. In the late 18 hundred's to the early 19 hundred's funerals were normally held in the parlor of a person's home. Funeral parlors where rare in small towns except for the big cities where home funerals for not convenient. Big cities were the reasons that funeral parlors thrived. During the years mentioned above it was very common as a memorial to where lockets and display pictures in your home of you and your family with a deceased loved one(s). In the early 19 hundred's during the influenza outbreak, it was commen for whole families that had passed the photograph together. Influenza to chill families in a matter of days in the bodies were kept cold and then put together for the photos. Again this was not considered morbid it was very common to wear photos in display photos of dead loved ones with living relatives. The room in your house that would've been called parlor was changed to living room. This is where the dead be displayed during a home funeral. In this room memories and belongings of the deceased person would be kept as a memory of their life. This was a way to remember and keep the person living in a way of sorts. There was a movie recently released in the last couple years called "a
haunting in connecticut." My copy is on Blu Ray. There is a featurette in the the special features menu called "Momento Mori" The History Of Post-Mortem Phtograpy. There is a great break down about this practice. If you have a chance to get a copy, I would suggest watching it. You could likely pick up a cheap non Blu Ray copy on Amazon.com for very little. Just make sure it lists the special features as it may have been sold in single dusc format with just the movie. It may also have been sold in the dual disc set with the second disc containing the special features. This is very common. The commentator is an author of a book on the subject called "Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography In America." - Dr. Stanley B. Burns. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me. Hope this helps. Xyane A. influenza outbreak, it was commen for whole families that had passed the photograph together. Influenza to chill families in a matter of days in the bodies were kept cold and then put together for the photos. Again this was not considered morbid it was very common to wear photos in display photos of dead loved ones with living relatives. The room in your house that would've been called parlor was changed to living room. This is where the dead be displayed during a home funeral. In this room memories and belongings of the deceased person would be kept as a memory of their life. This was a way to remember and keep the person living in a way of sorts. There was a movie recently released in the last couple years called "a haunting in connecticut." My copy is on Blu Ray. There is a featurette in the the special features menu called "Momento Mori" The History Of Post-Mortem Phtograpy. There is a great break down about this practice. If you have a chance to get a copy, I would suggest watching it. You could likely pick up a cheap non Blu Ray copy on Amazon.com for very little. Just make sure it lists the special features as it may have been sold in single dusc format with just the movie. It may also have been sold in the dual disc set with the second disc containing the special features. This is very common. The commentator is an author of a book on the subject called "Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography In America" - Dr. Stanley B. Burns. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me. Hope this helps. Xyane A.
I apologize for a almost doubled copy of the comment above. I had to copy and paste it from the application in which I wrote it and I apparently made a mistake. So that is why you have a duplicate copy in the comment. Very sorry again. X.
Is there anything else about this photo that would lower this down, such as location, or anything in the photo that may signify who he is. My second guess as to who this is, is Edward A. Call Jr. (1849-1934), mayor of New Straitsville, OH in 1901. He was my third great grand uncle, this tintype was found in, what would be, his brother's bible.
Age wise-- he seems to fit.
But that alone won't confirm the ID-- do you have any other photographs of him to compare with?
The backdrop painting is unusual and is probably unique to this specific photographer. There may be a CDV out there with the same backdrop that has the photographers information on it. It is a "needle in a haystack" search but does offer some chance (very slight), that would allow you to determine the location.
Scott
There is nothing more appealing to me than the past. I feel a connection to it in all areas. Yes, I still watch "little House", Matt Dillon, and old westerns. This is my first time on here. About thirty years ago I bought a box of old books. Mama thought they were junk. I loved them. In them I found a faded purple velvet phot0 album. It had hinges and was in great shape. Mama thought it was junk and threw it in the trash while I was gone. Thank God I had taken the pictures out to get a history on them. There are 34 pictures, many in tin type looking format (I don't know the differences) but I just got the idea to look up some and I now am hooked on the information you can get here. With so many everyone has said that they belong to a photographer, however some are VERY well DRESSED, and look like each other. I'll take any words of wisdom as to how to find out more about them. Thanks in advance I'll be checking back in.
lostinthepast,
Well I've gotten a lot of my information from scottvez (another member on CW). Tintypes are printed on pieces of tin (metal). Once you get to know how to tell them apart it'll be easy (Try ebay to compare yours with others)! I love my old family photos (I'm not a collector, just learning more about my personal family photos). I hope you can find more about your photos. Thank you for saving the treasure trove of photos!
lostinthepast-- take some digital photos of your tintypes and post them here.
There are many collectors willing to provide you with additional information specific to YOUR photographs.
Scott
Hello, I have been an avid genealogist for over 40 years. I inherited a trunk full of photos from my great grandmother and have spent years trying to identify them. Look through other old photos you have, see if you can identify him in any family settings, look at his ears, ears don't change over the years. Do you see this same back drop in any other settings where that subject is identified? Do you know the area he lived in, look at old school or organization group photos from that area. I have even sent photo copies of old photos to elderly relatives for identification..... don't send the original! Good luck.
Thanks, Stephanie!