What is the old west term for a death photo?

[Prof. Bullspit]

What is the old west term for a death photo?

I figure this is the place where I'll get the answer!

It was common in the old west to take a picture of the dead body of an outlaw to document his demise. That famous one of John Wesley Hardin always comes to my mind. What is the term for such a photograph?

[Silver Creek Slim]

I postcard. 

Slim

[Qball]

Boooooooo

[Silver Creek Slim]

Boooooooo

Slim

[Brazos Bucky Smith]

 

Me think's it was kinda a cleaver response!   But as a serious note, what would it be called other than a "Death photo"?

DEADMEN TELL NO TALES[/color]

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Post Mortem Image? ...............................Buck

[Russ T Chambers]

Income.    Sales were great!!!!

[Forty Rod]

Trophy shots?

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

"Evidence of expiration"?

"Documentation of demise"?

< Dodging the oncoming hat >



AnnieLee

[St. George]

Memento Mori - the term meaning "Remember Thy Death"

There's a reference book available, titled:

"Memento Mori:  Death and Photography in Nineteenth Century America" - by Meinhold

Scouts Out!

[Big George McCoy]

Expiration Notice

The photographer would then charge a late fee.


Seriously, I thought that enterprising photographers took the photos and sold them as souvenir postcards

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Memento Mori - the term meaning "Remember Thy Death"

There's a reference book available, titled:

"Memento Mori:  Death and Photography in Nineteenth Century America" - by Reinhold

Scouts Out!

St. George, was the term actually used at the time for the photographs, or was it coined just for the book?

My knowledge of the context of the term was it was used by men training for or going into battle from far more ancient times. "'Memento Mori,' remember death, it is with you always, sitting at your shoulder. It may be your opponent, it may be you, but it is there." It would be interesting for me to know about its use in our American West.

Edit:

I did a Google search on Memento Mori photography. It came back with this as one of the links:

http://cmp1.ucr.edu/terminals/memento_mori/

MEMENTO MORI:
DEATH AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA
by
Dan Meinwald
More:

A site which has over 450 Memento Mori photographs as well as a large number of death masks (including those of Robert E. Lee, William Sherman, and Ulysses S. Grant) can be found at http://thanatos.net/
Thanks,

AnnieLee

[St. George]

The term was in use long before the American Frontier was even thought of.

A "memento mori" was also a token of the dead - a bone - lock of hair, etc., - much like the various "Relics" of the Saints that filled medieval churches...

It goes back to medieval times - and before - and originated in Europe - where the vast bulk of folks drew their lineage and beliefs from.

Its use in the American West was no different from its use in other places - it was a time-honored custom - not a peculiarity of time and place - fraught with particular significance.

Its significance was that of "Death" - patiently awaiting all...

Scouts Out!