Buzz
Photography has evolved dramatically over the years. It's almost unbelievable to think that black-and-white images were once the only kind available. Today, we have an array of choices, not to mention the rise of modern photography trends like selfies.
But it's not just us who are into quirky photography trends. In fact, those who lived when cameras were first invented seem to have had even more unique—and often stranger—photography crazes than we do today.
10. Postmortem Photography
Postmortem photography was an eerie practice that involved living individuals posing alongside the body of a deceased family member. This strange tradition was particularly popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
At the time, photographs were quite costly, and many people didn’t have the chance to take pictures during their lifetime. The only chance for a portrait was after death. In fact, postmortem photos often became the only image of the departed.
Postmortem photography was made possible because most people passed away at home. Many of these photos featured children, as infant mortality was tragically high. The children were dressed up—sometimes surrounded by flowers and toys—before being photographed. Often, their mothers even held the children. The images sometimes made it appear as if the children were simply sleeping.
Older children and adults were often propped up with belts, pulleys, and levers. Some were even made to appear standing, as though they were alive. The lifeless eyes were usually a clear sign, so photographers sometimes added glass eyes to create the illusion of them looking toward the camera.
Given the unreliability of transportation and the stiffness that set in after death (known as rigor mortis), families often called for a photographer before the person passed. Photographers sometimes arrived after rigor mortis had set in, but this was usually not a problem because they were highly skilled at posing stiff bodies.
Postmortem photography gradually faded as medical advancements led to longer lifespans. More people also began passing away in hospitals rather than at home. Over time, cameras became more affordable, and most people had access to other pictures of themselves and their loved ones.
9. Hidden Mother Photography
In the early days of photography, the exposure times were long. Subjects had to stay perfectly still for around 30 seconds before a picture could be captured. Holding still for that long was difficult for adults, and nearly impossible for children.
This led to the practice of hidden mother photography, where mothers would sometimes hide in the background, holding their children steady. To blend in with the surroundings, many mothers would cover themselves with fabric. Some even disguised themselves as chairs, backdrops, or curtains to remain unseen in the photograph.
8. Spirit Photography
Spirit photography emerged as a genre influenced by the long exposure times of early cameras. To avoid ghosting, subjects had to stay perfectly still. As the term suggests, ghosting occurred when the subject appeared faint or transparent, resembling a ghost.
In 1861, photographer William H. Mumler discovered a technique for consistently creating ghostly figures in his photos. It’s believed that Mumler achieved this by placing the glass plate from a previous ghost photo in front of a new plate he was using for his latest subject.
Rather than developing a legitimate photography genre, Mumler exploited his discovery to deceive clients. He claimed to capture real ghost images and quickly gained a clientele eager to photograph the spirits of their deceased loved ones. Among his clients was Mary Todd Lincoln, who famously posed for a photograph with the ghost of her late husband, Abraham Lincoln.
Mumler's ghost photos were eventually debunked as fraudulent. It was alleged that he had burglarized the homes of his clients to steal photographs of their deceased relatives, which he then used for his ghostly glass plates. This was likely true, as sometimes the 'ghost' was revealed to be a living family member. This scandal ruined Mumler's photography career, though a court ultimately cleared him of all charges.
7. Smileless Photographs
In the early days of photography, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was uncommon for people to smile in photographs. Several factors contributed to this. For one, early photography was often seen as an extension of painting, and in paintings, subjects were expected to appear natural. As a result, smiling or any expression other than a neutral face was frowned upon.
Additionally, postmortem photography was prevalent. As previously mentioned, these photographs often served as the only image a family would have of their deceased loved one. The intent was to preserve the memory of the deceased in a serene, lifelike manner, and therefore, a natural, calm expression was preferred for these portraits.
One reason for the lack of smiles was the long exposure times required by early cameras. As previously mentioned, subjects had to stay perfectly still, meaning they had to hold a single facial expression to avoid a blurry mouth. The easiest expression to maintain was a neutral face, so most people opted for that.
Another factor was the prevailing belief among Victorians that smiling was a sign of foolishness. It was widely thought that only idiots smiled, and no one wanted to be seen as foolish by smiling in a photograph.
6. Headless Portraits
Early photographers were already experimenting with image manipulation a century before the advent of computers and image editing software. This manipulation began almost immediately after the invention of photography, when some photographers discovered the technique of cutting and pasting two separate pictures together to create a new, combined image.
Swedish photographer Oscar Rejlander pioneered the technique that led to the creation of the headless portrait genre in the 19th century. As the name suggests, these portraits featured one or more subjects without heads, with the head either held by the subject or someone else in the photograph, sometimes placed on a plate.
In some cases, the headless subject or another person in the image would hold a bloodied knife, suggesting that they had severed the head. While today, such a portrait could be easily created with photo editing software, in the past, creating these images was a complex process and not as straightforward as it might appear.
5. Builder’s Photo
Locomotive and automobile manufacturers employed the builder’s photo (also known as the official photo) to showcase their new or upgraded models. These photos typically captured either the front and side or just the side of the product. The locomotives were often photographed without carriages, and in some cases, the backgrounds were edited out.
To ensure their locomotives looked striking in black-and-white photographs, some manufacturers painted their engines gray. They also applied bright colors to the darker parts of the locomotives, making them appear lighter in the photos. After the pictures were taken, the locomotives were repainted in their actual colors.
Railroad companies displayed these images in their offices, used them on postcards, and incorporated them into advertisements. Locomotive fans also became enamored with the trend, though their photographs were known as roster shots.
4. Pigeon Photography
In 1907, Dr. Julius Neubronner patented the pigeon camera. As the name suggests, the device was attached to a pigeon, and a timer was set to automatically capture images while the bird was flying.
The pigeon camera marked a significant advancement in aerial photography at the time. Its images are some of the earliest aerial shots ever captured. Before its invention, people used cameras attached to balloons and kites for aerial photos, but these methods were slower and had limited range.
What’s particularly intriguing is that Dr. Neubronner never set out to create a camera specifically for aerial photography. His original intention was to develop the camera to document the flight paths of pigeons.
That said, the pigeon camera wasn't without its shortcomings. While it was useful for capturing aerial images, it proved unreliable for surveillance purposes due to its random image-taking process. This limitation is one of the reasons why airplanes replaced it during World War I.
3. Red Shirt School Of Photography
The 'Red Shirt School of Photography' emerged after the refinement of color photography. This genre was unintentionally sparked by several magazines, which were accused of purposely including red items in their images.
Rumor has it that photographers working for these magazines would travel with red shirts, umbrellas, and any other red items they could find. They strategically incorporated these objects into their photos to make them more visually appealing. National Geographic was one of the magazines often linked to starting this trend.
The public was captivated by color photographs when color cameras became popular in the 1950s. Editors quickly realized that readers were more drawn to the colors in photos rather than the shapes and movements that dominated black-and-white photography. Consequently, they focused on attracting more readers by using visually striking images.
In fact, editors began selecting photos based on their color. Photographers favored capturing sharp, vivid colors like red to make their work stand out. Some even brought actors wearing bright clothing or accessories into scenes just before taking the shot. This genre eventually faded in the 1960s.
2. Hand-Colored Photographs
Some photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries appear to be in color, even though true color photography wasn't perfected until the mid-20th century. How is that possible? Simple: by painting over photos.
Johann Baptist Isenring pioneered the trend of hand-colored photographs when he painted over black-and-white images using pigment and gum Arabic. This technique quickly gained popularity, with many other photographers joining in. One notable photographer was Yokohama Matsusaburo, who also worked as a painter and lithographer.
Matsusaburo created his first hand-colored photograph in the 1860s and became famous for his vibrant, hand-painted images. Hand-colored photography peaked in popularity in the early 20th century but faded away with the advent of stable color films and prints in the 1950s.
1. Manual Retouching
From the moment photography was invented, people began looking for ways to improve their appearance in photographs. But in the Victorian era, there were no computers or photo editing tools. Instead, the Victorians resorted to manually retouching the glass plates used to create the images with pencils.
Sharp pencils were employed to emphasize body contours, while blunt pencils were used to lighten darker areas. Cheeks were often shaded darker, as they tended to appear lighter in the finished photo. Photo editing was so commonplace during the Victorian period that nearly every photograph was touched up by hand.
