Human taxidermy and death photography are ways to keep the loved one close. Science, nature and the occult are at the forefront of thought in labs and drawing rooms throughout Victorian Europe.
19th century advances in technology twine with Romantic trends in art, culture and literature. Here arises the tale of the Loreley, and industry creates monsters.
Pursuits such as butterfly collecting and taxidermy gain popular favor as a way to bring the outdoors indoors, for fun, mental health or study. Taxidermy is no longer the domain of professionals. Amateurs and hobbyists stitch, stretch and stuff everything from wildlife to pets.
It's not long before interest turns to stuffing dead relatives. Human taxidermy arouses the imagination of scientists, philosophers and writers.
In 1820, Sarah Bowdich Lee, an English author, zoologist, botanist and explorer produces a taxidermy manual discussing the difficulties in use of taxidermy on humans, among other topics. The book goes through six editions up to 1843.
The concepts of stuffing wildlife and human taxidermy are used to horrific extent in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film "Psycho." In German mythology, major goddesses Holle and Perchta dole out punishment by ripping out an offender's insides and stuffing the person with straw.
Photography, developed in the 19th century, moves to celluloid film and cameras anyone could use, replacing the need for professionals. The first "personal" camera made by Kodak in 1888 comes loaded with 100 shots.
The photographer sends the whole thing back to the company for developing. The company sends back the photos and the fully re-loaded camera.
While human taxidermy is expensive and rare, the trend of death photography zooms. People often take pictures with the deceased, posing with the person, dressing and even seating the corpse at the dinner table as if still alive.
Rigor mortis sets in after about 2 hours in the facial muscles, and leaves 24 hours after death, about the same time maggots start to hatch. A body smells of escaping gasses and rotting flesh after a few days, depending on climate, so time is limited.
Victorians are much closer to the reality of death than we are today. Wakes are held in the home for up to several days. The bereaved close the curtains and cover mirrors until after the funeral to prevent the deceased's reflection from being trapped in a mirror.
In popular belief, if people see their reflections in a mirror at a home where someone recently died, they might be next to die. To avoid misfortune, all clocks are stopped at the moment of death.
Death protocol includes wearing black, a tradition dating back to the Romans. It becomes widespread after 1861, when Queen Victoria wears black to mourn her beloved husband Albert.
Both human death photography and taxidermy are seen as a way to preserve the memory of the person, especially one much beloved. In terms of the occult or supernatural, it can also be a conduit to communication with the dead.
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