Getty Museum

[Postmortem Portrait of a Baby]

Date

1856–1860

Medium

Daguerreotype, hand-colored

Culture

American

Department

Photographs

Institution

Getty Museum

Posed as if sleeping peacefully, this baby holds a tiny sprig of flowers. Sensitively photographed images of their deceased loved ones helped families preserve their memories in a vivid but discreet way. "Secure the Shadow 'ere the Substance Fade," a popular advertising slogan, reminded customers that a daguerreotype portrait would last forever. The large number of postmortem portraits of children gives the slogan special poignancy, a sad reminder of the high mortality rates in the 1800s, particularly for children.

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