Contributed by Skowhegan History House
- Item 21616
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Description
The following observations and opinions were offered by a member of the Skowhegan Camera Club.
"While printing some of the old glass negatives from the Bloomfield Academy Collection, Skowhegan Camera Club members came across this rather ordinary scene in the kitchen of an unpretentious farmhouse. Most glass negatives have no clarifying descriptions, so members were using a magnifying glass to search for clues to the photographer's purpose. After a brief examination they suddenly noticed the gnarled hand and sleeve visible through the open doorway to the dining room. Closer examination revealed a white shroud beneath the table covering the floor. Another shroud lies on the table under the body. A black blanket covers the corpse. During earlier times, home funerals were common. Undertakers were often either unavailable or unaffordable. The freshly washed dishes on the sideboard and the pet food dishes on the floor remind us that even in the face of death, life's daily chores must go on."
About This Item
- Title: Skowhegan home funeral, 1927
- Creator: Huff Studio
- Creation Date: 1927
- Subject Date: 1927
- Location: Skowhegan, Somerset County, ME
- Media: Photographic print
- Dimensions: 20.3 cm x 25.2 cm
- Local Code: ba900kq.jpg
- Collection: Bloomfield Academy Collection
- Object Type: Image
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Mourning customs--Maine--Skowhegan
- Funeral rites and ceremonies--Maine--Skowhegan
- Dead--Maine--Skowhegan
- Interiors
- Houses--Maine--Skowhegan
Other Keywords
For more information about this item, contact:
Skowhegan History House66 Elm Street, PO Box 832, Skowhegan, ME 04976
(207) 474-6632
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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.
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