De fotogenieke dood

Samenvatting

Photogenic Death. The photo reportage of funeral services is a new phenomenon in Dutch professional photography. It is distinguished from 19th-century memento mori pictures and other postmortem photography by the practice of collecting pictures of the event (the funeral service and burial) in an album, while keeping photos of dead bodies -- when they exist -- hidden from public view. This development is discussed in terms of the informalization process, the late 20th-century taboo on looking at the dead body, and technological changes. The discussion draws on a review of research on Dutch family albums and survey and interview data collected on professional photographers. 27 References. Adapted from the source document.