Mourning Monday 3.12.12

Today I would like to share my infatuation with  mourning photography, another form of remembrance. Some people may find it disturbing, morbid or just plain creepy. I am not one of those people. I take comfort in seeing a deceased loved one just one more time at a wake. I feel the same way about post mortem portraits.
I found this photo of a deceased child at a flea market in Pennsylvania many years ago. I framed it and keep it in my studio. Although I have no idea what her name was or how she died, I have always called her Eliza Blue.

When my Mom died in 2006, my whole family joined in to document the entire death process. Some took photos in the hospital room, some took photos before and after her death. I took this one on the night of her wake. My sisters and I saw her earlier when we did her hair, makeup and nails at the funeral home.

This was the first time I saw her in the viewing room.

What are your thoughts on mourning photographs? Comforting or creepy?

thanks for reading! xo

Interested in learning more about mourning photography, check out these links:

The Museum of Mourning Photography & Memorial Practice (MoMP)

Post Mortem Photography