From: firstinitiallastname@texas.net   
      
   Cori wrote:   
      
   > "Linda Terrell"  wrote in message news   
   ...   
   >   
   >>On Mon, 10 May 2004 03:02:47 UTC, "Steve Grimm"    
   >>wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>The pictures were also "proof" they killed the person so if any reward   
   money was due, they could collect the reward money.  This was   
   >>>needed if the railroad, bank or Pinkertons were offering the reward.   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>Also, the Victorians had a far different view of death   
   >>than we do.  They were more accepting of it, lived closer   
   >>to it.  Wakes were more often held in a family's parlor   
   >>than at a Funeral Home.   
   >>   
   >>LT   
   >   
   >   
   > Yes, sometimes a family group would be photographed around a coffin   
   > with a dead person in it.  Strange to say, this still sometimes   
   > happens in African-American families.  It is much more rare among   
   > Anglo families, but I have seen such pictures, although a Dear Abby   
   > letter from a few years ago indicated a man who photographed his   
   > brother in his coffin was labeled a "ghoul" by others present.  I   
   > don't know where Hispanics stand on this.  In the old days, of course,   
   > it might be done because they didn't have good pictures of the   
   > deceased from life.  There are an awful lot of pictures of dead   
   > children both alone and with parents.  It was a way to display the   
   > parents' grief, not to mention get the little darlings to hold still   
   > ;).  The book "Wisconsin Death Trip" contains some wonderful examples.   
   >   
   > Cori   
   The attics are replete with examples of coffin photos, many of them   
   children, children frequently dying in those days. I think a lot of it   
   was that many relatives couldn't make it to the funeral.   
      
   My grandfather, who was a cinema pioneer from the early part of the   
   century, was once paid handsomely to film a Mafia funeral to be sent to   
   the folks back in the old country.   
      
   --   
                          Gerald Clough   
       "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)