About the Book

Postmortem photography, photography a deceased person, was a common practice in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These photographs were often the only photographs taken of their subjects and much pride and artistry went into them. Today we struggle to avoid the topic of death; as a result, we’ve closed the door on these images, which reflect an American culture in which death and mourning played a visible and active part.

About the Author

Stanley Burns, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a practicing New York City ophthalmic surgeon and a distinguished, internationally prominent photographic author, curator and collector. His renowned collection started in 197 and contains over 700,000 vintage prints, taken between 1840 and 1940. Dr. Burns has written nine award-winning photo history books, hundreds of articles and has prepared dozens of exhibitions.