aatombomb:

creepylittleworld:

The man in this photograph is dead.

“In England, the deceased were usually photographed in their caskets. In the United States, however, it was traditional to pose the deceased person as if he or she were still living. Photographers had tricks of the trade such as stands and supports, makeup to hide pale skin, and even methods for opening the eyes and retouching photographs to subtly alter the blank expression of death.

Children were usually posed in bed or in the arms of their parents. Adults were more often posed sitting in chairs or even standing with their bodies supported by special frames. Even beloved pets were sometimes photographed on their owner’s laps after death.”

You can see part of the stand that is holding him up behind his feet. 

ME, STARTING TO READ THIS POST: Yeah, of course he’s dead. It’s an old pict— OH!