It's a lovely photo. The children are really cute and I love the clothing. I think I agree with Teena and it's not a post-mortem photo.
I think your aunt is leaning in because the photographer told her to lean closer to get that lovely head grouping but her body didn't follow her head before the photographer shot the picture. Most post-mortem photos I've seen (and I'm sure you've seen more than me) show the child lying down or sitting. The children's eyes are quite blue, and blue eyes can wash out in photos. Any photo of my very blue-eyed uncle-in-law from childhood through his adult years made him look drunk or dead because of the how the light showed his eyes. Only until the family started using color film did he look sober and alive. Herbert seems much fairer than the others, both in hair and eyes and I think that might be what's going on with his eyes. Do you think that the belt might be just a very wide, dark sash for his outfit? Just my two cents. LynnD On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 7:51 AM, Beteena Paradise < bete...@mostlymedieval.com> wrote: > I disagree. I don't think it is post-mortem. First of all, why would they > do it with him standing when the grouping would have been just as pleasant > with him sitting. That would be much more likely if he was post mortem. > There is no indication that he is not holding his own weight on his legs. > They are clearly solid beneath him and not shifted to the side as if > something else is holding him up. I do, however, think that he has some > disability and the belt is keeping him steady. There is also drooping on > one side of his face which may indicate stroke or other brain > abnormality/injury. And his eyes look blind to me not dead. There is a > certain look to a dead body and he doesn't have it. Particularly focus on > his lips. They are not the lips of a dead body at all. Just my 2 cents. > Teena > From: Penny Ladnier <pe...@costumegallery.com> > To: 'Historical Costume' <h-cost...@indra.com> > Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 1:07 AM > Subject: [h-cost] New Topic: Is this a Postmortem Photo > > I'll open a can of worms. I have a photo of my Dad and his siblings from > 1912 http://www.costumegallery.com/kids2.jpg . The little boy in this > front > is he postmortem or handicapped. He passed away in 1912. I have always > thought the belt around him was odd and being shoeless. My Dad told me > once > that his mother was very strict and would not allow them to go around > barefooted. Last week I was dusting the photo's frame and gave it a hard > look and thought it might be postmortem. > > Penny Ladnier, Owner > The Costume Gallery Websites, www.costumegallery.com > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCostumeGallery > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > > > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
