Memento Mori

'Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you must die’.'

It is known as 'an artwork designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the shortness and fragility of human life'

http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/memento-mori

This was very popular in the Victorian era. This was embraced by the Victorians even though the average life span of someone back then was 40 years. Due to photography being such a new subject to them, it was almost granted as an opportunity to bring the dead 'back to life' in a way they never could before.

Due to the high expense of photography, the 'Memento Mori' photograph would usually be the only photograph they would have of their loved ones. I personally find this a little creepy, but I can understand  the concept of it.

Although the people were dead, the photographers would make them look as though they were still alive in many different ways. Some photographers would have the person/people propped up against something as though they were standing upright by themselves.

The picture to the right in particular is one of my 'favourites' (if that's what you can call it!). I am intrigued by the photo because of the blur of the lady and woman on the outer edge of the photo, and the crispness of the girl in the middle. It deters my eye away from the girl who is in focus and brings my attention to the people blurred. If I didn't know who was the 'dead person', I would question the photo and perhaps think it was the man and lady on the outside. The blurred effect is due to such a long exposure on the camera back then. They may have been trying to stay perfectly still for a period of time, but even one slight movement would have created this blur effect. It makes the image look very interesting and slightly horrifying in my opinion.