Photographs of loved ones taken after they died may seem morbid to modern sensibilities. But in Victorian England, they became a way of commemorating the dead and blunting the sharpness of grief.

    In images that are both unsettling and strangely poignant, families pose with the dead, infants appear asleep, and consumptive young ladies elegantly recline, the disease not only taking their life but increasing their beauty.

    Long exposures when taking photographs meant that the dead were often seen more sharply than the slightly-blurred living, because of their lack of movement.

    Victorian life was suffused with death. Epidemics such as diphtheria, typhus and cholera scarred the country, and from 1861 the bereaved Queen made mourning fashionable.

    Trinkets of memento mori - literally meaning "remember you must die" - took several forms, and existed long before Victorian times. Locks of hair cut from the dead were arranged and worn in lockets and rings, death masks were created in wax, and the images and symbols of death appeared in paintings and sculptures.

    But in the mid-1800s, photography was becoming increasingly popular and affordable, leading to memento mori photographic portraiture.

    The first successful form of photography, the daguerreotype - a small, highly detailed picture on polished silver - was an expensive luxury, but not nearly as costly as having a portrait painted, which previously had been the only way of permanently preserving someone's image.

    As the number of photographers increased, the cost of daguerreotypes fell. Less costly procedures were introduced in the 1850s, such as using thin metal, glass or paper rather than silver.

    Death portraiture became increasingly popular. Victorian nurseries were plagued by measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, rubella, all of which could be fatal.

    It was often the first time families thought of having a photograph taken - it was the last chance to have a permanent likeness of a beloved child.

    Words to Learn 相关词汇

    病态的

    bìngtài de

    morbid

    suggesting an unhealthy mental state or attitude

    小饰品

    xiǎo shìpǐn

    trinket

    a small ornament, piece of jewelry, etc., usually of little value

    维多利亚时期的诡异风俗：与死人合影

    或许在现代人眼中，为离世的挚爱拍照实属诡异。不过在维多利亚时代的英国，这却是一种缅怀故人，缓解悲伤的方式。

    这些照片充满了不安，画面异常感伤。家人与逝者一同拍照，婴儿看上去就像进入了梦乡，患病的年轻女士优雅地斜躺着，疾病虽夺走了逝者的生命，也增添了别样的美。

    在和故去的亲人合影的照片中，通常很容易辨认出死者——长时间的曝光使他们看起来比活人清晰，因为他们是完全静止的。

    维多利亚时代的人民饱受死神的折磨。流行病（白喉、伤寒、疟疾）肆虐全国。从1861年开始，守寡的年轻女王就掀起了一场悼念风尚。

    象征着“记住人必有一死”的纪念品早在维多利亚时代之前就流传已久。剪下逝者的头发，珍藏在吊坠里或镶嵌在戒指中，或用蜡为逝者铸造面具，抑或在绘画与雕塑中采用死亡的意象。

    不过，随着19世纪中期摄影技术的流行，摄影成本的降低，为逝者拍摄肖像留作纪念的做法逐渐流行。

    首个成功的照相方式是银版照相法（在抛光的银板上拍摄出影像细腻的照片），银版照相尽管被看成是一种奢侈品，但它远不及画一幅肖像画那般昂贵，而肖像画曾是永久保存某人形象的唯一途径。

    随着摄影师越来越多，银版照相的费用也相应降低。19世纪50年代，摄影采用了成本更低的方式，如使用薄金属、玻璃或纸来代替银版。

    后来，给死人照相日渐普遍。在维多利亚女王时代，很多幼儿园的孩子染上了麻疹、白喉、猩红热、风疹，当时都是致命的。

    那时往往是家人第一次想给孩子照相，也是他们最后一次给心爱的孩子留存一张永久的照片。