[Personal_archives] images of death

[RICKBARRY at aol.com]

This very interesting discussion has included several comments  on access and 
use of photos of deceased persons taken at funerals and how  attitudes have 
changed in this respect in recent generations. Some comments  referred to 
cultural aspects as to what is considered personal or public. There  can be quite 
serious cultural implications of not only photos of the deceased  but even the 
names of deceased in some cultures and while it is common  in some cultures to 
include permanent pictures of the deceased on their graves,  in others it is 
next to taboo. Those of you dealing with personal or other  records of 
different societies will find it worthwhile to read Helen  Onopko's presentation on 
"Evolving access solutions -- repatriation of  records of indigenous 
communities," which is accessible in the Guest Authors  section of _www.mybestdocs.com_ 
(http://www.mybestdocs.com) .   This presentation was a report on a project to 
develop and provide portable  archives of Aboriginal records to the groups 
that were the subject of the  records, and the challenges that arose in that 
process.
 
Quoting from Helen's presentation:
 

"On the one hand free accessibility to this  heritage is needed so that 
Aboriginal people can trace their genealogies, find  their tribal identity, their 
ancestral lands, and trace their relatives. On  the other hand 'free' access 
can go against traditional methods of control  over the flow of cultural sacred 
information. As recordkeeping professionals  we can appreciate that here is a 
special circumstance where context is  as important as content. 
 
"In July 1978, photographs by a powerful  collector of aboriginal records 
were printed in Stern Magazine showing sacred  sites and secret rites of 
indigenous groups.  He was very upset when the photographs  were then sold to People 
Magazine.   Stern subsequently apologised. The whole controversy about whether 
the  photographs should or should not have been published caused a great deal 
of  moral anguish.  He said that he  had every right to permit use of the 
photographs because the subjects in the  photographs had passed away.  
 
"In some Aboriginal communities, seeing the names and photographs of  the 
deceased may cause sadness and distress, particularly to relatives of  those 
people. 
"It is admittedly very difficult to write history without including such  
names. On the Ara Irititja   website, cautions are provided to users, so that 
choices can be made  prior to record access.
 
"This was placed at the beginning of the website and the warning has to  be 
accepted by all users to enter."

 
Regards,
 
Rick 
 
In a message dated 10/29/2008 8:51:45 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
catherine.hobbs at lac-bac.gc.ca writes:

Judith's message brought  to mind an interview with Joan Schwartz (no
doubt some of you know the  programme/new item I'm referring to, but I
can't remember) where she  discusses her study of 19thC portraits taken
of dead children.  She  discusses the way in which these portraits were
taken by studio  photographers shortly after the death and how they
functioned as reminders  to the Victorians who had a different sense of
memorialization.

If  any of you know of an article on the topic we'll add it to the
citations  relating to the discussion.  (By the way, I've been meaning to
mention  that:  we'll be aiming to compile the citations for  the
discussion).   

Best,

Catherine


-----Original Message-----
From:  personal_archives-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
[mailto:personal_archives-bounces at mailman.yale.edu]  On Behalf Of Judith
Colwell
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 3:04  PM
To: Archives; Personal_archives at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re:  [Personal_archives] personal archives

The photos that we have in a  church archvies, amid personal papers, are
often taken to back up a report  or to put a face on a church -- hence
alumninum souvenir plates  and  postcards showing the image of the
minister and of the church  exterior.  In some circles these would be art
forms -- after all the  engraving on the aluminum or tin took some skill.
Then the question arises  asking whether the church was as stern as the
minister, or was the minister  pushing an image that he thought the
church wanted.

As to pictures  of funerals, etc. -- depends on the geographic area in
question.  I  have some photos of people laid out in their caskets which
appear to be  part of a culture.  And I vividly recall, from back in the
late 1950's  a schoolmate with her album of photos of her mother in
casket and the  funeral.  Creepy to me, but ....

Judith  Colwell
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