Letting Go While Holding On: Postmortem Photography as an Aid in the Grieving Process

Abstract

This article examines how postmortem/funerary photography has created an historical as well as a cultural construction of visual images in the grieving process. Social practices of the display and use of postmortem photos are compared from the 19th century to present, revealing changes in societal attitudes over time. Modern rituals reflect the continued need to memorialize the deceased using a cherished keepsake, souvenir, or memento, such as a photograph. A new grieving ritual is observed, which emerged as a response to the September 11th terrorist attacks. This research employs theories from the discipline of visual sociology. The rarity of postmortem photography in the 21st century as a socially acceptable practice is acknowledged, as well as the value of using postmortem photos as an historical and cultural grieving ritual. Further research is recommended to continue the examination of attitudes toward death, while considering the use of visual aids (such as postmortem photography and other representations) as acceptable bereavement practices in contemporary U.S. culture.