Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America

by Stanley B. Burns

A selection of American postmortem photographs from the Burns Archive. Includes a chronological essay on death in America, as well as a bibliography.

Sleeping Beauty is coveted for having played a large role in the rediscovery of the normalcy of postmortem photography. In 1990, Dr. Stanley B. Burns' landmark publication Sleeping Beauty, Memorial in Photography in America, ushered in a new era of appreciation of the importance of these images. Since the publication of Sleeping Beauty, exhibitions based on the 3-book series of memorial images have been created regularly. Perhaps the most prestigious was Le Dernier Portrait at Paris' Musée d'Orsay in 2002. To accompany the exhibit, Sleeping Beauty II: Grief, Bereavement and the Family, American & European Traditions was produced. In 2011, Sleeping Beauty III: Memorial Photography, The Children was written. Numerous other documentarians and feature filmmakers have utilized these poignant photographs, most notably in The Others. The Burns Archive serves as the premier source of images related to death, mourning and medial practices.
Postmortem photography is the taking of a photograph of a deceased loved one, and was a normal part of American and European culture in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It has nothing to do with images of violence, crime, or war. Death, and personally dealing with death, was prevalent throughout the entire world as epidemics would come quickly and kill quickly. Advances in medicine removed unexpected death from everyday life and professionals took over. Commissioned by grieving families, postmortem photographs not only helped in the grieving process, but often represented the only visual remembrance of the deceased and were among a family's most precious possessions. Mourning periods were based on family relationships and could last from months to years. Small photographs of the deceased were often carried in lockets or kept close to the body for greater intimacy. As many of the diseases that killed our ancestors were conquered and photography advanced during the century, society grew more and more distant from death, and practices, styles, and traditions of mourning and memorialization changed.
The earliest postmortem photographs were often close-ups of the face or full body, at times depicted to appear lifelike or napping. Children were often positioned in a crib, posed with a favorite toy, or with a family member, most often the mother. Later photographs depict the subject in a coffin. Flowers, like forget-me-nots and calla lilies, were common in postmortem photography of all types. Later photographic memorials involve a shrine usually including a living portrait and flowers dedicated to the deceased.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, History, Death, Art, American History, Research

132 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1990

About the author

Driven by a deep commitment to share his discoveries, Dr. Stanley B. Burns’ name has become synonymous with historic photography. Dr. Burns began collecting medical, historical, and memorial photography in 1975, and founded The Burns Archive in 1977. Since then, he’s authored dozens of award-winning photo-history books, and has curated and exhibited at dozens of major museums and galleries worldwide. A New York City ophthalmologist, Dr. Burns’ keen eye for iconic imagery has helped rewrite inaccuracies in medical history and played a large role in the rediscovery of postmortem photography and nineteenth century mourning practices. An accomplished surgeon, author, historian, curator, collector, professor, publisher, and archivist, Dr. Burns has been referred to as “the Johnny Appleseed of photography” in New York Magazine, as he’s actively shared his encyclopedic knowledge and expertise. His contributions to medical and photography history are recognized by his official appointments at several institutions, including The National Arts Club, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The American College of Surgeons and especially by New York University: Langone Medical Center where he is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry. Over the past 40 years, he has consulted and contributed to thousands of feature films, documentaries, television productions and publications. He has authored 43 photo-historical texts, over 1000 articles and served as editor of several medical journals. When not collecting, Dr. Burns spends his consulting, lecturing, creating exhibits, and writing books on under-appreciated areas of history and photography. Dr. Burns is the on-set Medical, Historical and Technical Consultant for the HBO-Cinemax series, "The Knick." His 44th book, Stiffs, Skulls & Skeletons: Medical Photography and Symbolism will be released October of 2014.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just reread Sleeping Beauty, Memorial Photography in America by Stanley B. Burns, M.D. for about the fifth time, I wish to write a review for those who may be interested in this subject. I was reminded of this book as I viewed a photo in The Victorian Book of the Dead. The subject that was being discussed in The Victorian Book of the Dead was postmortem photography of deceased persons, and then I saw a picture of a baby who had passed away which looked familiar. I did locate this photo in Sleeping Beauty, Memorial Photography in America. First, I would like to tell future readers that this photos in this book are, at first, quite sad. At least they were to me. As I read the captions that went with each photo, I began to understand how these photos aided those ‘left behind’ to grieve their loss. When I reread the timeline, I remembered that historically death was not far away from those living in the nineteenth century in the USA. With medical care not available to everyone as well as how limited medical care was in the 19th century, death became a constant companion to just about everyone. Epidemics of yellow fever and diphtheria enabled death to show its face. Also childhood diseases such as measles and chicken pox allowed death to enter many homes. When a young baby was lost to the previous mentioned diseases, the family most often did not even have a picture of this young baby. Thus, memorial photography made it possible for a middle class family to have a ‘remembrance’ of the lost child. The professional photographers did all they could to present a final picture of the child's ‘last sleep’, a memento for the family and relatives of the dead child of which they could be proud, and these families’ were very proud. Plus the families would have a picture of this very young child now lost to them forever. This photography helped them deal with their grief. Each time I reread this book or just look at the photographs, I am reminded of how much times have changed; how much medicine and medical care has improved; and how strong those who lived in the 1800s must have been. This is a fascinating book that contains one of a kind photographs and a timeline that explains the history that began this type of photography. 5 stars!

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

In addition to the 83 photographs and their illuminating captions, the book contains an indispensable and extremely enlightening chronology of death in America. This listing details religious beliefs and funerary practices in this country since 1630. Most helpful, it discusses the changes in both brought about by improvements in medicine.

This is not a book for the squeamish. The earliest photos, dating from the 1840s, do not attempt to disguise the signature of death. The eyes, when closed, have fallen back into their sockets. Blood trails from lips or nostrils. Dehydrated emaciation in children is unconcealed.

Still, as a document of times and practices distant from our own, this is a wonderful book. Every time I open it, I learn something new.

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographs in this book are tragic, beautiful, and heartbreaking. I understand why the author put the captions in the back but a bit annoying having to flip back and forth. I am not sure if his information is all true but it was still fascinating to see on the timeline how recent many of our ideas and beliefs really are.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coffee table book that contains memorial photography in chronological order from 1840 to 1930, Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America is a fascinating book for anyone interested in early photography, 19th century history or ever-changing American attitudes toward death and dying.

The author, a medical doctor, shares photos from his private collection (some of which can be seen on the web at http://www.sleepingbeauty2.com/pages/... includes a time line of death in America from the 1630s to the 1990s.

While several of the photos indeed fall into the "morbid" category, many of them are actually quite touching and sad, especially those of parents (usually mothers) holding or posing with their deceased children. As the author points out, this would often be the only photograph that the parents would ever have of their child. Also of interest is the sometimes obvious fact that the dead were not 'prettied up' before being photographed as there are obvious signs of disease and even blood in several photos.

The book is currently out of print and used copies are very expensive, but you might be able to find it your local library. Burns published a sequel to it, Sleeping Beauty II in 2002.

Interesting trivia: In the Nicole Kidman movie "The Others" the post-mortem photographs Kidman's character stumbles across in the film are from this book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but rather sad book. Besides the postmortem pictures of children and a few adults, there is a chronological history of death in America, discussing such things as life insurance, funeral homes, tombstones, and childhood diseases and epidemics. This is the 2nd book in the series that I have read.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book.

I had never seen a photo of Abraham Lincoln lying in state, at least not that I remember. I have always found memorial photography to be weird and unnecessary, at least in the modern world. However, when you consider photography in its infancy, the time and cost, these photos taken after death may be the only photograph that ever existed of a person. It may be the only photo the family ever had. (Its the 19th century, people were not snapping pictures of much of anything. Lack of access.)

[Anita Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of death photography from the Stanley Burns archives alternately is heart-breaking and fascinating. I tended to focus on the pictures of dead children because, or course, they are the saddest, but this book also contains death photos of crime victims, bad men and people who simply died and were mourned. You can read more of my review of this book at: http://ireadoddbooks.com/?p=19

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome pictures. It is so cool to go back in time and see the different way they viewed this sort of thing.

[Librariann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see dead people.

[April-Jane Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most precious books. It's the first in the Sleeping Beauty series started by Dr Stanley B. Burns using his Archive of photos. It's out of print and very hard to get hold of!
Memorial Photography is often seen as morbid by others but I personally think it's a wonderful way of remembering lost loved ones, one final memory to hold close through grief. For many families, this was the only photograph they would have of their family member as photography was still in its infancy and not widely practiced. Whatever your thoughts of memorial pieces, be it photos to jewellery, it can't be denied that the act of having those pieces of remembrance has helped many people both past and present cope with the grief of losing someone they love.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad. There really are a lot of these photos out there. My family has a fairly recent one of my great grandmother. She dies in Germany and no one here could go back for the funeral at the time, so other family members sent photos. Gruesome-yeah, but us great-grandkids who were too small to have remembered her, all appreciate the photos.

[Beth Voecks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool. A few photos were from WI!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMportant, grisly and beauiful

[Melissa Dally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fascinating. Very informative and well-researched. Really hard to get ahold of though!

[Kaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful, sad, and haunting.

[maja Robertshawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

maybe...book of the year for moi

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a time in America when photographing a deceased loved one was a common practice. From the early 19th century to middle 20th century, family members would take pictures of or with their departed loved on. They would pose them in different positions, either sitting in a chair, or laying in their coffin or if a small child, sitting in the lap of a parent.

The practice was for the family to send out these pictures to other family members. Most of the time, this was the only picture they had of that person so they made sure it looked very special. These pictures would be hung in homes, or special lockets to wear around a parents' neck or just a small picture frame to carry around.

The pictures can be a bit disturbing but once that initial feeling is over, one can appreciate the beauty that there is in death itself.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rubbernecking the scene of a fatal car crash without the problematic follies of missing the right turn or fender-bending the people in front of you. It's finding the remains of an unknown tiny creature near a stock pond. It's watching a sibling or a child fall down and having a huge swelling on the forehead or a massive amount of nose-blood. You want to do something, but everything is a done fact. It's a mix of sickening and heart-breaking. This is a collection of photographs depicting the dead and near-dead from the early days of photography. They range from the quite elderly to the infant. Cause of death ranges from accidents to the rampant diseases of the day. Nearly each photo is lovingly posed, many with living parents cradling their soon-to-be-buried children. Hard to believe something of this nature had even a glancing moment in American history.

[Joel Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection of American postmortem photographs from the Victorian era until the 1920s which challenges readers to confront their own feelings on death while viewing photos from what appears to be an almost alien culture. It is easy to understand why 19th century Americans took these photos but still a jolt to view so many of them at once. The only flaw is some stilted captions on the photos, with more than one instance of subject-verb DISagreement. A hard book to read, but for me this was ultimately a rewarding experience.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly beautiful coffee-table book focusing on memorial, post-mortem photography in the Victorian era. As morbid as it may seem now, sometimes the only photos of family members were taken after they died, and these were done with good taste and touching effect. The roles have flip-flopped since then. Then, sex was hidden and death was in the open; now, sex is everywhere, but death happens behind closed doors.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A giant picture book of funerary photography from the 1800s to the 1900s. The back of the book has an encyclopedic rendering of how funerary practices changed throughout the years, along with the captions (if available) for the previous pictures. Fascinating and horribly sad.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely beautiful book! Gorgeous postmortem photographs that any collector can appreciate, but also gives deep insight into the history of memorial photography as well as mourning and grieving customs throughout history.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to have a really morbid curiosity to view these images. Personally, I found them remarkable.

[Margot Note · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at the Watson Library at the Met during a terrible thunderstorm.

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome and haunting imagery.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing window into history. Not a story, this is all about the photographs. It appears to be out of print and is very hard to find. I'm looking for an affordable edition.